Harry Potter and the Thin Blue Line
by zArkham
Summary: It's 2012, 20 years after the end of the Second Voldemort War, and things seem quiet. Maybe too quiet. However 'Hardcore Hit-Wizard' Harry doesn't care. After dealing with the Ministry during the Olympics he just wants some down-time, some booze and a shag or four. Yet grievances from the first war have festered into a new danger for Harry and the world. Cop Drama - Harry/?
1. 20 Years Later

**DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: **_It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the grace of coffee that thoughts acquire speed, the back acquires strains, the strains become a warning. The warning is that I make no money from this. It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. _

**DISCLAIMER THE SECOND**: This is going to be a dark cop drama with the occasional lemons. You've been warned.

**MAJOR STORY NOTE**: Considering London is one of the most "1984" places on the planet, the idea that Magicals still have a major presence in the city has always been a bit suspect to me. The idea that everyone is still trudging to Platform 9¾ with owls and clothing which looked like it was from the 70s in 2016 seems off. So for the purposes of this fic,

Everything is this story takes palce **two decades** from the end of the Battle of Hogwarts. However the events in canon are all backed up by **six years**.

Thus Harry was born in **1974**.

Harry went to Hogwarts for the first time in **1985**.

The Second Voldemort War ended in June of **1992**.

Considering of what we see in canon, there really isn't anything Muggle that I can think of which couldn't happen in the mid 80's. More to the fact, that none of the Muggleborn never bring up computers, portable phones and the like (which were getting much more common by the end of the canonical series) means pushing the timeline back makes more sense. This allows me to deal with how a post 9-11 world would affect Magical England.

There will be some other minor changes to canon. If something is said which contradicts canon, it's a good bet it's intentional.

**XxXxX**

**PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER: "**_**Fate is for losers**_**." Douglas Coupland**

**XxXxX**

**CHAPTER ONE – TWENTY YEARS LATER**

**BEHIND THE CYCLOPS EYE PUB, DIAGON ALLEY, LONDON – AUGUTST 4****th**** 2012 – EVENING**

Harry sniffed and then rubbed his nose. Someone was smoking Muggle clove cigarettes and those always made his eyes water. Of course the ventilation system in the pub was practically non-existent so all the smoke from the various cigars, fags and pipes hung in the air like an evil cloud.

Not that the pub's patrons paid it any heed. Unlike the Muggles, a wizard only had to flick their wand to make themselves smell fresh and cancer, well cancer was something Magicals either didn't get or took a potion to cure. Harry frowned to himself. It always amazed him how wizards could accept being cooped up in a stinking bar and yet pitched a fit if they ever were required to work up a sweat. He, for one, had taken to like the spread of no-smoking pubs throughout Scotland and finally making head-way in England. Another reason he often shunned the Wizarding world when he could.

The bar's queer arrangement didn't help the smoke or the press of bodies. Of course with the bar being made out of an old shop, its arrangement made more sense. Like so much in Diagon Alley these days, this building was filling a different role just like so many of the wizards and witches crammed in to get a drink before or prior to their work shifts.

Harry pulled out his flask and took a pull of the 12 year Glenmorangie scotch. He didn't give a tinker's damn for Wizarding booze even though he'd sometimes drink it if only to keep the bartenders happy. Harry would rather just have a pint and not have to worry about a drink which would either cause steam to come out of his ears or other such rubbish. He'd already had finished off a pint of bitter but the waiting was starting to get on his nerves.

It wasn't helping the crowd was tense and lively. After the Great Move (or Cowardly Retreat as opponents called it) Diagon Alley had attracted a new population which previously had been content to live on their ancestral lands. Now these 'yokels' used to living on their own land, by their own rules were packed check to jowl with others just like them.

That being clannish, conservative, stiff-necked and quick to anger. Just the sort of people you _didn't_ want packed into a small space with lots of alcohol.

Harry sighed and looked at his watch. Normally waiting (and drinking) wasn't a problem for Harry. Yet with the Olympics just past, Harry was still a bit strung out. With the whole world watching London, the Ministry had to swallow its pride and call in England's most infamous black sheep to help enforce the Statue of Secrecy: Harry Potter; _the Man-Who-Disappointed_.

On top of having to listen to Percy Prewitt's boring briefings, having to deal with the Auror Corps or busting wizard after wizard using some Weasley Wizard Wheeze where Muggles could see, Harry had to keep a tight rein on his temper in the face of the innuendos, the snide comments and the not so subtle mockery from the other members in the security detail. That and the ever present '_What did bad-boy Harry do today_?' articles in the Daily Prophet.

Harry smiled grimly. True a lot of that had stopped when Harry had seriously rearranged Auror Zacharias Smith's face while showing the berk's team some non-lethal take-down methods to use when wands could not. Then he was at least back to whispered comments about Hardcore Hit-Wizard Harry; the man who seemed Hell bent on following Moody's path.

Harry's magical eye swiveled toward an abrupt movement at the bar but relaxed when it turned out to be a man catching an empty tankard he'd inadvertently knocked off the bar. Harry calmed himself and continued to look around the pub casually. His jumpiness reminded him of all the times Mad-Eye had yelled about the need for constant vigilance or the dangers to one's buttocks if one kept a wand in their pocket. Of course the odd, hodge-podge décor of the bar did sort of remind Harry of the late, patch-work Auror. Of course in a way, Harry was sort of on his own way to looking like Moody.

His eye didn't help the comparison to old Mad-Eye. After the werewolf attack which cost him his eye, Harry had kept it hidden behind an eye-patch. For awhile many a perp thought they could get the drop on him on his blind side only to get a face full of stunner...or worse. After it became obvious Harry had one of the new (and smaller) magical eyes, he'd gone back wearing glasses. While he hadn't yet lost any limbs, he sometimes felt Hermione might make some break-through arithmantic calculations from the spatial relationships from all the scars on his body.

That would be assuming, Harry thought wryly, that Hermione would ever talk with him again. Of all the people he had let down in his sorry life, Harry still felt keenly the pain of knowing Hermione had finally given up on him. Certainly he deserved it, nay gone out of his way it seemed to provoke it but never-the-less, the pain was still there. Of almost all of his previous friends, Hermione had held on the longest. Only Luna still treated him the same but with her globe-trotting ways, Harry rarely saw her.

Harry looked around the pub, sub-vocally changing the magical filter on his glasses from magical aura level to blood-alcohol level. Between his magical eye and some Lasik surgery, Harry hadn't needed glasses for years. Yet the amount of magical filters which could show him anything from blood splatter to magical power level made them too useful to give up. Plus, if he was honest with himself, he just didn't look right without them. By taking a page out of Bill's book, Harry had tamed his hair by growing it long and keeping it in a pony-tail.

Harry scanned the crowd and frowned. It was relatively early in the evening yet the majority of the other patrons were already squiffed. That could be good or bad depending on how the night went down. For now, Harry hoped it would help fewer people would notice him and who he was meeting. Of course no one in the room knew it was him. He currently was in his Jim Patterson disguise. His cover was an ex-pat who worked in shipping who would often come ashore, work some odd jobs and then leave after he had presumably made enough money to earn a berth away from England. 'Jim' was a gambler and liked to hang with the ladies of the night.

Harry frown turned to a small smile. Between the gambling dens, the strip clubs and the docks, Harry heard and saw a lot while living and working as Jim. The Aurors, those stuck-up twats who wouldn't know honest police work if it bit them in the arse, hated that his arrest record as a Hit-Wizard was seven times that of their best officer.

Just like most everybody in Magical England, if they couldn't use magic to do it, the Aurors wouldn't do it. Sure they had plenty of officers trained in surveillance and disguise but to actually do manual labor on the docks to strengthen their cover? Perish the thought! Harry always inwardly scoffed when shaking hands with officers in the Auror Corp. Almost to a wizard or witch, they all had soft, office hands.

Harry signaled Evelyn MacDonald for another bitter. She was his favorite waitress because they shared similar facial problems. Where Harry had the four marks of a werewolf's claw stretching from his hair-line to his chin, Evelyn had a nasty diagonal cut from left to right across her face made by a Death Eater's cursed dagger.

While not a beauty, Evelyn had a grace to her and it saddened Harry that she was stuck as a waitress for the scum and villainy which mostly made up Diagon Alley these days simply because she had a scar magic couldn't cover up. The Daily Prophet had tossed her out of their reporter pool and no one, not even the new owners of the Quibbler would hire her.

Harry always made sure to have a kind word for her when he would show up as Harry Potter when he'd come around asking questions. Over the years he had found the paradoxical fact that by alerting perps he was looking for them by publically questioning people often made them panic which made them easier to catch. As an ex-reporter, Evelyn often spotted things ordinary people missed so she made a good contact to get the feel of the wizard on the street

As Jim Patterson, he always made a point to flirt outrageously and perhaps give a friendly grope. As Jim, Harry hadn't had sex with her since she got a boyfriend last year but she never seemed to mind a pinch on the bum.

"Thanks love," Harry said as Evelyn set his beer down while easily carrying a tray filled with half-a-dozen pint glasses.

"None of your wandering hands now, Mister Patterson!" Evelyn joked with a saucy wink. Harry laughed as she wiggled her bum as she sauntered to the next table. This laughed was cut short when he finally saw his contact for the evening walk in. Harry took a quick drink and tried to keep watch while not trying to appear so. Sadly the layout of the place made that difficult even with his magical eye.

The pub hadn't always been a pub. As little as seven years ago it still was Jorkin's Capes and Cloaks and so was never designed for the role the building played today. As Harry kept his magical eye on his target, Harry mused that most of Diagon Alley was in that same boat since the Great Move. After 9-11 and the unrelenting march of Muggle technology, London was just not safe to be the seat of Magical England anymore. With the bulk of the old shops relocated to the new Dumbledore Alley in Tintagel down in Cornwall, Diagon Alley had become either magically 'industrial' or barely above that of Knockturn Alley.

"Well Jimmy, you going to buy a hard working gal a drink?" his contact said as she sat down opposite him.

Harry laughed as he signaled the bar since Evelyn was across the room, "Well I don't know about a hard-working gal but a wizard would be just daft not to get hard around the likes of Pretty Pansy Parkinson."

"Jimmy, I told you not to call me that," Pansy said even though Harry could tell she secretly liked hearing her old school nickname. Sadly while Pansy was still quite comely, the years hadn't been kind to her when it came to her looks. Not that that matter to Harry. With all his scars, his attitude and his wicked ways as Molly Weasley might have said, Harry didn't feel he had any right to look down on Pansy's looks or lifestyle.

"Well I've made it almost a habit not to do what I'm told," Harry quipped.

"Yes, yes, we all know what a bad boy you are…_Jimmy_," Pansy said with a roll of her eyes. Unlike the other patrons, Pansy knew who he really was.

"A bad boy to match a very bad girl," Harry said as he wiggled his eye-brows suggestively. Although true be told there wasn't much left of his real left eye-brow to wiggle but that was easily covered up by the Muggle special effect kit he used to cover what his limited metamorphmagus powers couldn't cover. While he could shorten his hair, change his eye color (with his magical eye changing to match) and slightly alter the shape of his face, the claw marks couldn't be magically covered up. So he had to use Muggle means to hide the scar which had replaced his old lightning bolt scar as how people spotted the famous (infamous?) Harry Potter in a crowd.

Once again magic was almost a curse when it came to magical police work. Most aurors would check for a glamour or Polyjuice and then accept you for who you said you were if the results came back negative. Since his metamorphmagus powers were innate, it didn't show to any forensic spells. Since his fake eyebrow and special make-up to cover his scars were Muggle, they didn't show up either. Harry felt he could probably sneak into the new Ministry itself and get away with it. The charm which could keep people from seeing his eyes through his glasses (and thus his magical eye when it swiveled) was often used by gamblers like Patterson was known to be. So far only Luna Lovegood had twigged onto a disguise of Harry's.

Pansy waited till another waitress put her gillywater down. Pansy's drink of choice was known in every drinking hole in the Alley which made things easier on busy nights like tonight. After taking a drink, Pansy leaned closer to Harry, "So why the call? Things are still ass over tea-kettle due to that Olympic thing. Most everyone is still laying low even with the stepped up Auror patrols gone." Pansy paused before she broke out in a sly grin, "Well the pros aren't laying low. After all the fucking going on between the supposed virtuous Aurors and other outstanding members of society on top of all the foreigners in town for the festivities, most are pretty shagged out."

Harry smirked, "And you? Are you shagged out?"

Pansy snorted, "I may be a pro but after Draco I swore I'd keep to some standards. Luckily I was able to keep myself entertained by a select few Durmstrang alumni with deep pockets. Deep pockets but short dicks but at least they tipped well."

Harry reached out and patted Pansy's hand, "Poor Pansy; all these years of working hard for your money and you're still stuck with the problem you had back in Slytherin."

Pansy snatched her hand away. "Oh and what problem is that?" She asked archly.

Harry grinned, "Having to say, 'Is is in yet?'"

Pansy's eyes flashed but Harry didn't flinch. Given Draco's actions after the War, Harry felt no guilt about making snarky comments about his old enemy. He still kept watch on the old ferret and Draco knew it. So far he had kept his nose clean which meant Harry hadn't been able to have him tossed into prison as he often dreamed about doing. Just because he hadn't been able to kill Dumbledore didn't make him a good person and much of what he did was out of self-interest. Harry knew if it was to that self-interest to become a danger to society again, he'd do it. So Harry watched and waited.

Of course the few times he had shagged Astoria on the sly made up for his deferred big dream!

Pansy pursed her lips before asking again, "So are you going to tell me what this is all about? Things may be tense but it's been ruddy quiet. So why am I here?"

Harry laughed, "Pansy, sweet Pretty Pansy Parkinson; can't a guy just want a sweaty shag without having his motives questioned?"

Pansy looked at him appraisingly before smirking, "Pu-lease, _Jimmy_. I'm not stupid. Unlike the rest of the brainless sheep around here, I know very well you've been fucking your way through quite a few witches. I doubt I'm here because the only option you have is a disowned disgrace working as a pro."

Harry leaned back and sighed. He took off his glasses, set them on the table and rubbed his eye. After taking a deep pull on his beer, Harry leaned in with a smile, "See now sweets, that's where you'd be wrong. I'm not looking for anything tonight but a little of the old in-and-out. Oh I'm sure I've got some questions to ask along the way. I wrote them down so I wouldn't forget them so that should show you how so-called urgent they are."

Pansy looked suspicious. Finally she said, "I don't believe you. Isn't the Greengrass Ball on tonight? I'm betting you could have easily finagled a way into their catering crew. Fucking Astoria while her husband hob-knobbed around would be just like you. Besides I know Daphne probably knows most of your aliases. With her taste in the absurd, I could see her excusing herself from her guest for a quick shag just for the kick of coming back and speaking with some boring Ministry twit with your jism running down her leg."

"That is a down-right fucking lie!" Harry said hotly before grinning. "Daphne would never leave the room without cleaning up. Besides she's rather enamored with the taste of my jism as you so crudely put it. She'd never let it go to waste by running down her leg."

Pansy still looked suspicious, "Fine, whatever. Still…why me?"

Harry shrugged before going on in a low tone, "I've been stuck being Harry bloody Potter for to long this month. Right now I just want some fun and Jim is fun. Jim is also rather sweet on you."

Pansy frowned. "Harry you are Jim Patterson!" she said quietly.

"Yeah and I'm rather sweet on you as well. We're both bad pennies who made some bad choices which no one ever gave us a chance to repent for." Harry's face hardened and Pansy shivered as she saw a flash behind his good eye. "Funny how they named the new Alley after Albus '_Let's Give them Another Seven Chances to Reform_' Dumbledore but you made one bad call which on the face of it seemed probably a good bet with Voldemort outside the gate and you get disowned. Me? I fucking save everyone and I'm kicked to the curb for having the gall to want to live my own life."

Pansy harrumphed at that, "Fuck that Jimmy. You didn't want to live your own life; you wanted to throw it away."

Harry grinned, "And that's my fucking right to do, now isn't sweets? I did what I was fated to do and now if I'm my own man. If anything, doing what I was fated to do just goes to show Fate is for losers. Why save yourself when you have a Chosen One?" Harry's grin turned cold, "Of course what do you do when afterwards the Chosen One doesn't stick to the script? Magical England wanted their savior, got their savior and then got pissed off when he refused to play the role of Hero afterwards."

Pansy couldn't help but poke an old wound, "Not to mention all those witches who expected you to show up on their door on your white charger to take them to their dream white wedding."

To Pansy's amazement, Harry just laughed, "Yeah, well the only two witches who ever took the time to get to know me had other plans so the rest of them could go fuck themselves."

Pansy tried again, "Even the Weaselette?"

Harry made a dismissive gesture, "Especially her. She still hasn't grown up you know. Still the little girl who expects everyone to dote on her and make all her wishes come about. How dare I not live up to her childhood dreams of being her Boy-Who-Lived?"

Pansy snickered nastily, "Well perhaps having her mother Kissed might explain some of her anger at you."

Again Pansy was startled Harry didn't even blink at this. Normally she could get a rise out of Harry on this topic, "Look sweets, you go potioning up the heir to an important House, let alone four of them, and you end up paying the price. Fuck them all; they are lucky I can't bring myself to stop saving them."

Pansy looked at Harry quizzically. He was definitely in a mood; one she'd never seen him in before and she'd seen him in some moods before. Some which she counted herself lucky she came away alive. "Saving them Harry?"

Harry slammed down the last of his beer. He almost slammed the pint glass down but caught himself at the last second. Pansy watched him stare at the pint glass for awhile before looking up at her. His face bore a haunted expression which always made her breath catch in her throat. It didn't matter they were in a busy pub surrounded by noisy drunks. It didn't matter the air was filled with smoke, unwashed bodies and greasy pub food. The look in Harry's eyes made Pansy think she was in a graveyard and something from beyond the Veil was looking through Harry.

"It's my Curse, Pansy. I can't stop trying to save them from themselves. Every day I'm out there, fighting the petty evil that goes on day after day which if not checked grows into big evil like Voldemort. I fight and fight, day in and day out and it's always the same; they resent me for it." Harry said hollowly.

Pansy was surprised to find she had taken Harry's hand in hers, "Why do they resent you?"

"Because they know, deep down, I'm doing what they refuse to do." Harry closed his eyes and his voice was so low Pansy had to strain to hear it. "Pansy, magic is a curse. Everyone seems to think we are so blessed with magic but it is a terrible curse. Witches and wizard warp reality to suit their fancy but it cuts them off from the real life. Life is hard and hard isn't something wizards like to do. So when someone like Voldemort shows up, everyone looks to someone else to do the heavy lifting. Someone like me. Yet even as they call out to be saved, they hate me for saving them because they know, in their secret hearts, that I'm better than them for taking action while they do nothing."

Pansy stared at Harry for a bit while she processed this. On the face of it, what Harry was saying was nonsense. To someone of her upbringing, the idea that magic was a curse was laughable. Yet she had lived far too long in the day-to-day world were a flick of the wand couldn't cure one's problems to know just how weak most Magicals really were. If anything the Great Move was just another admission that wizard-kind always took the easy path over the right path.

"So why do you do it? Fight for them?" Pansy finally asked.

Harry looked up and sighed, "I don't fight for them, Pansy. I keep at it for the kids," Harry picked up his empty glass and rotated it in his hand; his distorted imaged reflected back at him. "I killed my first person when I was eleven, Pansy. The Headmaster tried to reassure me that Quirrel was dead the moment he let Voldemort possess him but I knew, even then, that this was just one of those things adults tell you to keep you from freaking out about the truth."

Pansy shivered as the haunted on Harry's face was back. She watched as he stared into the distance, as if looking back in time.

"My time at Hogwarts was filled with death. I killed a basilisk and quite a number of acromantulas personally as others died around me. Cedric, Professor Burbage, all those who died at the Battle of Hogwarts. Let me tell you something only few people knew before I obliviated the knowledge of it away. I killed Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle back in '91."

Pansy blinked, "How is that possible? Both died at the Battle of Hogwarts!"

Harry's grinned is lop-sided grin which Pansy thought looked odd on Jim Patterson's face. "Oh did they? That's what everyone thinks but that's because no one looked closely at the bodies. You wouldn't know since you were hustled off with the rest of the Slytherins but Minerva had the house elves put our dead under blankets but any Death Eater was put into a body bag. Only the Ministry morgue personnel saw that Dolohov and Rowle were actually two lower ranking recruits glamoured to look like them. I'm betting the Dark Lord didn't want it known that two of his top fighters went out on a quick snatch-and-grab and never came back. Bad for morale."

Pansy took a cautious sip from her gillywater, "So when did they die?"

"You mean when did I kill them?" Harry pointed out.

"Alright, you prat, when did you kill them?" Pansy said exasperatedly.

Harry leaned back in his chair and his gaze seemed to once again be looking into the past. "We didn't know that Voldemort had put the Taboo on his name. So right after Bill and Fleur's wedding got hit, we were found pretty fast in London. However since I've had people trying to kill me since I was 15 month's old, I was pretty good at sensing an impending attack. Bang, bang, bang, before you can say Bob's your uncle we had Dolohov and Rowle wrapped up and obliviated."

Harry leaned back towards Pansy, almost close enough to kiss her, "But as we left that little shop and were desperately trying to think of what to do next it hit me. Every person those two tortured or killed after that moment would be our fault; _my _fault. So I excused myself with some twaddle about checking them for portkeys or other items and I went back and used a _Petrificus Totalus_ right up against their chests. Stopped their heart. Boom! Two men who mysteriously had heart attacks at the same time."

"And the Weasel and Her Nibs never cottoned to this?" Pansy asked.

Harry gave a rusty chuckle, "Well Hermione was busy planning our next move or four and Ron was too busy having the shakes. He'd never admit it but he never dealt with battle well. Right afterwards he'd get the shakes bad. It is one of the reasons that he finally left the Auror Corps. Oh he pisses and moans about how he was drummed out but the truth is he just couldn't hack the heat of the kitchen."

"That and I'll bet without Granger around he couldn't deal with the paperwork," Pansy snarked.

Harry laughed with real humor this time, "Well even I have some trouble with that. Thank Merlin for Penny! Why that fucking twat Percy let her go is fucking beyond me. I'm sure I wouldn't have two knuts to rub together if she wasn't keeping things running smoothly for me."

Pansy took another dainty sip of her drink, "So okay, you've been around death since Day One. Why do you still do it? Hell, you _embrace_ it!"

Harry shrugged and was quiet for a moment before going on, "Fighting is what I'm good at. I feel alive when I'm doing it. I'm probably just as bad as many of the bad guys I take down. I'm just legally sanctioned in what I do. Yet no matter what, I remind myself that I'm the one doing it and I'm doing so by my own choice. I didn't have that choice as a kid. Nope, the Headmaster made sure I was primed, conditioned, and prepped to be his little weapon against Voldemort. Sadly I made the mistake of letting Hermione talking me into creating the D.A. which in turn created a whole batch of impressionable children ready to fight a war that the adults should have been fighting."

Harry gestured to the crowd around them, "This lot? Or those fat bastards in the Wizengamot or the whole lot of useless twats in the Ministry? Don't give a shit about any of them. I save them only in the sense that they benefit for me trying to keep the children of today from having to fight the battles the adults refuse to fight."

Pansy nodded at this but she couldn't help being the bitch, "Sounds good but considering so many of the sprogs around are your issue, still sounds a bit self-serving to me."

Once again, to her surprise, Harry didn't take the bait, "Well if I couldn't keep their parents from death and destruction, I don't think I should be gigged for trying to look out for their kids. As for my kids, I may be father to the lot but I'm no one's dad. I look out for them but they're better off without me being in their lives any more than I am already. Being a child of mine is burden enough as it is."

This bothered Pansy for some reason she couldn't put her finger on but before she could think on what it could be, a man plunked down in the empty seat to her left. Even above the smell of cheap booze, his even cheaper cologne told her who he was. "Maxwell kindly bugger off. I'm off the clock and even if I was I wouldn't bed the likes of you again for all the galleons in Gringotts."

Maxwell Weasley blinked at this before trying to lean in for a kiss, "I thought a working bird like you was never off the clock!" His accent, as always, was thick and hard to understand and the slurring due to the amount of booze in him didn't make it any easier.

"Get off me you ruddy bastard!" Pansy yelled as she pushed the offending wizard away. The Weasleys at Hogwarts had been bad enough but it seemed Diagon Alley was now filled with the ginger clan who had come in from the back woods of Britain in search of a different life.

Maxwell remembered what his da always told him; give a bitch an inch and she'll chew your leg off. So he quickly cuffed the witch with a swift slap, "There now! No need to be shirty! I pay you, you shag me, we both leave happy."

Maxwell didn't like the look in Pansy's eye and decided another slap would do it. Another cuff for good measure would do it but as his hand pulled back he suddenly found his arm trapped as if in a vise.

"I'm sorry but I know I've been gone from Jolly Olde England for most of the last decade but I don't remember slapping women was considered good form. How about you get up and leave right now and I don't fucking kill you? How's that sound?"

Maxwell tried to wrest his arm from the bloke who had been talking to the gal he had intended to shag but it was no use. No matter that the guy didn't look like much, his grip might as well have been a troll's.

"Hey now! Let Maxie go or there's going to be trouble!"

Maxwell grinned. He and the rest of the blokes at rendering plant might fight like cats and dogs while on duty but off shift? Pick a fight with one and you picked a fight with the whole lot.

However the wizard who still gripped his arm didn't seemed fazed in the least, even in the face of Maxwell's four mates who all topped 20 stone in weight. In fact the wizard smiled in the face as he looked up at the wizards who had surrounded his table.

"Walk away boys or you'll make me angry," the wizard said.

Maxwell unconsciously shivered at look in the wizard's eye.

"You really wouldn't like me when I'm angry!"

**XxXxX**

**Chapter Two Preview**: Well if we're going to start a fic in a cliché "you meet in a bar" sort of way, what else could follow but a bar fight?

**XxXxX**

**Author's Notes**: This is another variant of an idea I've been kicking around for a long time. The more I read fan-fiction, the more I'm finding I enjoy post-Hogwarts stories. Sadly so many of them seem to just advance the ages of the characters without really changing them. That or they make characters like Ginny and Ron awful while leaving people like Hermione and Harry still okay so they can ship them. Certainly I didn't cast Ginny and Ron in a good light in _Ginny's In India Now_ but I tried to show that Hermione and Harry had their own issues as well. This story is probably another one where my own problems with PTSD, depression, fondness for drink will play out in Harry.

**Fic Title**: The Thin Blue Line is a concept of how a small police force protects the vast amount of the people from threats. However it has a darker meaning in Criminal Justice circles to refer to the paradoxical effect of how police (or soldiers) begin to hate the people they protect. Much of it comes from people cops see when they ticket them and get attitude from these people who will be the first to call when they are in trouble. This attitude also leads to corruption when police begin to feel they should get added perks for their service. In this fic, Harry definitely hates the people he protects. It is just he hates the people he fights against more.

**Stealing From the Best**: Jim Patterson comes from the fic _Realizations_ (1260679) from **Wishweaver **and his blue-collar job is a shout out to Harry's jobs while pretending to be Jim. Harry's werewolf wound is inspired by _Stranger In A Too Familiar Land_ (6610684) by **Fyreheart**. In some respects the idea of a down-and-out Harry as a wizard-for-hire came from _Harry Potter and the Chance Meeting_ (4508835) by **Clell65619 **and maybe a bit from _Soul Thief_ (6479080) by **Walter Sobchak**.

**Pub Name**: This is a subtle shout-out to one of my all-time favorite movies.


	2. Fight Club

**DISCLAIMER THE FIRST**: It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the grace of coffee that thoughts acquire speed, the back acquires strains, the strains become a warning. The warning is that I make no money from this. It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion.

**PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER**: "_Under the pressure of the cares and sorrows of our mortal condition, men have at all times, and in all countries, called in some physical aid to their moral consolations - wine, beer, opium, brandy, or tobacco_." – **Edmund Burke**

**XxXxX**

**CHAPTER TWO – FIGHT CLUB**

**XxXxX**

**BEHIND THE CYCLOPS EYE PUB, DIAGON ALLEY, LONDON – AUGUST 19th 2012 – EVENING**

Maxwell was a Weasley and many would be surprised to find he was damn proud of it since so many in Magical Britain looked down on the Weasley clan. These people made fun of their poverty, their temper and their signature ginger hair. Yet Maxwell and most of the others in his clan knew why his family was better than any of the sorry toffs who made up the upper crust of society.

He was better because his family was huge and they were beholden to none.

His da once told him how the mighty House Lords might look down at their scrub farms and sneer at their poverty but the truth was those Lord's money was beholden to the Goblins, his lands regulated by the Ministry and his line hostage to the fact they could barely manage a sprog or two and even then they kept throwing up Squibs.

Maxwell may have grown up poor and been raised in what was seen as the backwater area of Magical England but his family owned their land, free and clear, since the time of Merlin. They might not have a lot of wealth but it was theirs, tangible and not subject to a goblin rebellion.

And a Weasley never, EVER had to worry about their line not continuing!

There probably were more Weasleys in England than wizards and witches in all of the great Houses put together. So where did they get off looking down their noses at them? A Weasley knew the value of honest work. A Weasley knew the importance of Blood (even odd-balls like Arthur although his eldest had gotten snagged by a Veela) and Weasleys were proud they had kept to Traditions dating back to the time after Atlantis sank.

Certainly Maxwell and lots of his cousins were in Diagon Alley to work and earn some galleons. Yet all of them planned to take their money (and hopefully a new Pureblood bride) back to the fens, hills and forests to set-up their own homestead. Let the city-slickers cower and run from the Muggles! Weasleys had kept their homes safe from Muggles for centuries! So if the rest were going to turn tail and run and leave plenty of open jobs, well that was their bad luck, wasn't it?

Maxwell had plans. Even with spending money the likes of which his da and mum had never seen in their life, he had plenty to set himself up nicely back home. A few more months and he'd be living like an Elder when he returned! All he needed was a bride.

However until he got that, he wasn't going to take some dock-working bleeder get between him and a night of sweet shagging!

**OoOoO**

Seeing the look in the ginger's eye, Harry let go of the man's arm. He knew if he could see himself that he'd have that feral grin he got when he knew he was going to enjoy the violence which was just aching to break free around him. Already half the patrons in the pub had turned towards the table eager for a fight to break out.

Harry casually picked up his glasses and put them back on.

"Don't think I won't be pasting you a good one just because you have glasses if you keep butting in!" Maxwell said smugly. "Me and the boys here don't rightly think having bad eyes should give you a pass. Since you got your specs on now, why don't you just see your way out of here?"

Harry almost rolled his eyes as the ginger's buddies all cracked up at the lame joke. He felt a pang of nostalgia when he realized how much they all sounded like Crabbe and Goyle after Draco had made one of his asinine threats or pitiful excuses for humor.

He turned to Pansy who seemed very aware of how close violence was to breaking out. "Pansy, love; why don't you head up to our usual room? I'll handle Ginger and his boys here and be up in a bit.

Pansy made to rise but Maxwell quickly grabbed her by the arm, "Oh you are going to 'handle us' are you? And how to reckon you're going to do that?"

"Rather roughly I'm afraid," Harry said affably. Then with a speed which took all the onlookers by surprised, Harry exploded into action. He surged to his feet while grabbing Maxwell by the top of his head and smashed his face hard into the table, breaking the ginger's nose with a sickening crunch. Harry then threw him backwards into two of his buddies.

"DOWN!" Harry yelled to Pansy as he already had his chair in his left hand and swinging. No stranger to bar-fights, Pansy was already ducking as the chair barely cleared her head before smashing into skull of one of the goons.

Harry's wand shot into his hand from his wrist-holder. Actually it was 'Jim's' wand which Harry had liberated from the Peverell vaults years ago when things had settled down enough for him to find out the reality of how many bloodlines he was the head of. A slash towards Maxwell and his three other partners caused the table to flip and crash into them. Unfortunately this pitched his empty glass and Pansy's gillywater into the crowd. It was all that was needed to set things off as the room erupted into cries of indignation. Every previous slight or argument which had been simmering all night exploded into flying fists and feet.

Harry cast a silent _Accio_ to bring Pansy to him. "Time to go sweets!" he yelled.

"Ya think?" Pansy yelled back as she ducked as pint glass sailed through where her head had been only seconds before.

Harry turned and pushed Pansy towards the stairwell and threaded their way through the ensuring bar brawl only to see two grinning men cracking their knuckles of all things at the foot of the stairs. Harry knew them both as gamblers who had lost quite a few sickles to Jim Patterson over the years. It was obvious they were looking to get some payback in dishing out some pain.

While he thought magic was a curse, Harry also knew that when things like a bar-fight went down, most Magicals seemed to forget they had wands. He had long ago figured out this was probably a survival mechanism. A roomful of drunks casting hexes back and forth could end up in a bloodbath very quickly. Since Harry hadn't grown up immersed in the culture, he didn't give a thought to using his magic.

Another flick of his wand and the first goon was caught up in his _Accio_. Instead of catching him like he had done with Pansy, the bruiser chin met Harry's left hook before a twirl of his right wand hand flipped the man into the melee around them.

His comrade, however, was smart and had immediately charged after his buddy. Harry hated fighting the smart ones. This guy knew Harry couldn't use his wand if he was dodging punches. Even so Harry got out a quick, "_Evax_!" before letting his wrist-holder snatched his wand back into his sleeve.

Harry and the gambler traded some quick punches of which none landed. The bloke was quick; Harry had to admit although he wasn't really trying too hard to hurt the guy. Harry was just distracting him while Pansy dashed up the stairs. That and he was hoping the guy would…

With an almost comical yell, his opponent reared back and threw a forceful punch right into Harry's sternum. The man's yell turned to a cry of mixed pain and surprise when he felt like he'd punched a wall.

That and his hand was now stuck fast to the front of Harry's shirt!

Harry grinned at the astonishment on the wizard's face. Disguised or not, Harry always wore his personal under-armor made from the connective tissue from the basilisk's carcass he had claimed back in '93. While not as tough as the scales, it was strong enough to blunt any punch a human could throw. His spell had the man's fist stuck tight until Harry released him.

Which Harry would do after he finished pummeling him. Harry began to punch the wizard with both fists like the bloke was a punching bag, grinning madly all the while.

"Jimmy! Quit fucking around and let's go!" Pansy yelled from the second floor balcony landing.

Harry's magical eye swiveled to the rear and he saw what Pansy was trying to warn him about; Maxwell and his buddies had regrouped and were charging through the fighting going on around them.

"Sorry mate; got to run," Harry said even though he was pretty sure the man wasn't listening and probably wasn't even conscious. A quick _Finite _and the man's hand came free and he collapsed to the floor. As Harry dashed up the stairs, he was once again thankful he'd learned (even if it had been accidental) that as long as his wand was close to him, many spells didn't require him to have it in his hand when he casted a spell.

Harry took a quick look out over the bar before throwing the door shut and hitting it with a powerful locking charm. Even with all the edgy energy he'd felt earlier, Harry was surprised the bar went up so quickly. It seemed everyone in the building was fighting with someone. If things could go pear-shaped so quickly here, Harry had to wonder about the calm the Alley seemed to be under for the last week. Were they close to a riot breakout at some provocation?

Harry shook his head to clear it. First things first, "Pansy, how about you apparate back to your flat and I'll join you? That's if you wouldn't mind a bit more excitement tonight?"

Pansy blinked at him, "You're really serious about just wanting a shag?"

Harry looked at her for a moment as he was pulling out the mokeskin bag Hagrid had gotten him long ago, "Yes I'm bloody serious. Merlin's sake women! Just because I fuck around doesn't mean I'm some sort of connoisseur of women and you're a bad vintage to be drunk only when nothing better is available! I'm not slumming; I just want a night with someone who has a good head about the real world and doesn't judge! Is that _really_ so unbelievable?"

Pansy bit her lip before shrugging, "Alright then, I guess I'll see you soon." She quickly made her way down the corridor to the outer balcony so she could apparate. By law, all buildings which served alcohol had apparition wards to keep the drunken splinching down. If you splinched yourself outside the building then the bar wasn't liable.

Harry smiled at the sound of pounding and spell work on the door. Voldemort himself probably couldn't break the locking spell Hermione had developed and shown him back when they were still on speaking terms. Harry pulled out his work clothes and armor pack out of the mokeskin bag and set it on the floor. A tap of his wand caused the shrunken contents to grow.

Harry took up his old Holly wand and laid Jim's wand on the newly grown clothing. Now for the part he'd practiced for years and could do in his sleep. First he switched his Jim Patterson clothing for his work underclothes. Next came his working set of basilisk scale armor over which went his normal work cloths made from various magical animal skins like his dragon-skin jacket. A few more flicks and he had shrunk Jim's cloths and vanished the make-up on his face. He returned his facial features, eye-color and hair-length to normal as he shrunk then stashed his disguise pack back into the mokeskin pouch.

All of this took under a minute. Harry smiled to himself. He might not be Superman able to super-speed a change in a phone booth but he was pretty damn close for the people he had to deal with.

Harry looked at one of the decorative mirrors that lined the hall and scowled menacingly. Good! Hardcore Hit-Wizard Harry was ready to roll! Luckily either the patrons in the rooms were too busy fucking, being drunk or were smart enough to not stick their heads out of their rooms at the sound of a brawl. Harry hated obliviating people even as he did it all the time.

Harry canceled the spell on the door and had to restrain himself from laughing as Weasley and his buddies collapsed into the corridor. They must have been trying to physically force the door of all things! The sound of the bar-fight filled the corridor and made Harry wonder why the Aurors hadn't shown up yet. It had to have been going on now for at least five minutes! Plenty of time for the Quick Reaction team to apparate to the building after the alarm had been sounded. Harry knew most magical pubs had an alarm triggered by a fight without any staff having to activate it and he seriously doubted this pub would be without such.

Looking down at the men trying to stagger to their feet, Harry said coldly, "What in the name of Merlin is going on here? Who the fuck are you lot?"

"Sod off mate! You can go fu…" One of Maxwell's friends voice tapered off as he suddenly realized who he was talking to. Between his cursed scars which seemed to almost glow on his skin, Harry's outfit certainly helped people identify him. The black Horntail skin jacket, the acromantula silk shirt and the chimera leather pants with boots made with the hide of a Common Welsh green all made Harry stand out. The only thing missing was his werewolf pelt cloak he wore during the colder months.

Again Harry had to keep from smiling as all of the men starting to stammer apologies. One seemed ready to shit himself in fear! This was the part of his job Harry worried about the most because he loved it. He loved seeing the babbling fear he generated. Harry knew it was wrong, knew it was Dark but he couldn't help but revel in it. Finally his fame generated a reaction he could enjoy!

He sometimes wondered, when in his cups, if Batman were real would he get off on scaring the dregs and skels like he did? Harry certainly did and hated himself for it. Of course Harry had plenty of things he hated himself for so he took comfort that this one at least came with a perk.

With a sneer worthy of Draco Malfoy, Harry wordlessly strode past the men who tripped over themselves to get out of his way. Looking down on the bar, Harry found the fight to still be in full swing with over thirty or so people fighting it out. So far no wands were out and Harry couldn't see anyone using knives or broken bottles but it was only a matter of time. He also saw that the staff had taken cover.

Harry smiled at that. That meant he could use one of his favorite spells; one he himself had created after too many hours playing a favorite Muggle video game.

"_Fulmen Potentia!_" Harry cast in a loud, ringing voice as he raised his wand above his head. In a brilliant flash, multiple bolts of blue-white lighting burst forth from the tip of the wand to rain down onto the melee below. Harry didn't push much magic into it as he wasn't trying to hurt anyone. Even so the room erupted into screams of surprise and pain.

Harry held the spell for a few seconds before cutting it off and silently casting a _Sonorous_ spell on himself, "I am trying to work up here and you lot ARE TOO BLOODY LOUD!"

More cries of pain as Harry's amplified voice made those already well on their way to being drunk cringe. However everyone had stopped fighting and were looking up at him. Before Harry could say anything else, a team of aurors burst through the front doors.

Harry sighed at the sight. Could they look anything less like a bunch of Keystone Kops? Harry half-expected one of them to lead off with, "What's all this then?" Of course he did scowl when he saw who was leading the team: Zacharias Smith.

With another sigh, Harry made his way over to where he saw Evelyn still hiding out under a table. He offered her a hand, "Everything alright down there, Evelyn?"

The witch gladly took the hand but shook her head as Harry pulled her to her feet, "I'm not sure if I'm happy to see you or not Harry. That was bloody frightening!"

Harry shrugged and figured it best to start building an alibi to protect his Jim Patterson persona, "Well happy or not, I'm glad I was here to get this all sorted out. Course my contact scampered. Sorry I didn't say hello earlier. Snuck in; secret stuff and all that."

Evelyn brushed her skirt off with a laugh, "Oh you and your secret stuff! You need to settle down with a proper witch!"

"And stop being able to save a damsel in distress? Never!" Harry said in happy voice he didn't feel as his magical eye watched the aurors trying to restore a bit of order to the room. Smith was already stalking towards him with his usual snobby sneer on his face. "So what started all this?"

"Oh one of those wretched Weasleys picked a fight with Jimmy Patterson. He looked to be setting up a night with old Pansy the Pro and he didn't take to kindly to having to deal with a ginger butting in to his night-life. Can't say I blame him after the ginger had slapped his date."

"Patterson huh?" I thought the guy who ran by me and practically jumped out the window with Parkinson looked familiar," Harry said loud enough for Smith to hear as the auror came up behind him.

"Potter! I should have known you'd be involved with a cock-up like this!" Smith said with a sneer that would have done Snape proud.

Harry turned with a sneer of his own, "Constable Smith, late to the party as usual. Funny how it takes but a moment to apparate from HQ to the alley, yet your team took more than five minutes to get here when regulations mandate you have at least one auror here within three. Then you immediately blame me without one question to a witness. Truly you are a credit to your entire sorry department."

Smith went white as Evelyn giggled at Harry's words, "If you can't show your bloody face in public without a brawl breaking out then I'll push to have your badge taken and you tossed into Azkaban where you should have been for the last decade!"

Harry wrung his hands in an exaggerated manner as he said in a fake simpering voice, "Oh dear! The big bad auror is going to take my badge even though he doesn't have the authority or the bloody stones to do so! Whatever will I do…except go on making seven times the arrests of his whole team put together!"

Smith's face went from white to red in a flash. His wand came up as he snarled in rage…

…only to stutter to a stop when he found Harry's wand pointed right between his eyes. Quite a few people who were watching yelped in surprise. Harry's speed was such they barely saw the blur of movement.

"Smith, I'm going to remind you _again_ that you are a bloody small cog in a big machine. A machine that I'm not part of. That badge you think you can take away was granted to me by _the Crown_ and nobody, not you or the fucking lot of useless slugs in the Ministry, can take it away from me. In fact, that you as an auror Constable can't seem to remember that I outrank you as an agent of the Crown just goes to show that Shacklebolt has a long way to go in reforming the department." Harry said affably even as his wand didn't waver an inch.

Smith visibly gulped and said nothing.

Holding his wand on him for a moment more, Harry suddenly smiled and let his wand retract back into his holster. "Well Constable, this hasn't been fun but I'll let you get on with your work so you can get back to your pastries and pinochle back at HQ. Since my contact badgered off due to this fight, I'll be on my way. Oh, you need to tell Shacklebolt that things are tenser than expected and he should look into your riot control protocols. I think tonight might be a prelude to a bigger blow out."

Harry turned to leave but Smith called out, "You're not going anywhere Potter! Shacklebolt has orders to bring you in!"

Harry turned back, "Bring me in? I think I'd have noticed an arrest warrant with my name on it so forgive me if I think you're full of shitte."

Smith's normal sneer was back making Harry feel once again that he had taken time back at Hogwarts to train in the Draco Malfoy School of Sneers. "He said he needed to talk to you and we're to bring you in at first opportunity."

Harry just stared at the auror with a slight smirk as if to say, 'You and what army?'

Auror McGowan, Smith's second who had come up behind Smith finally coughed before speaking, "Uh sir, well it _is_ past ten on a Saturday. I doubt Chief meant for Agent Potter to be brought in during the middle of the night."

Harry laughed, "Considering I know Kingsley is probably still at the Greengrass Ball, I doubt he'd appreciate you bothering him. I know Cordelia will have your balls for breakfast if you interrupt one of her fancy nights out with her husband over something minor like this." Harry turned to the second auror, "Thanks Bertie; I'll pop round tomorrow at eleven so I can catch Shack before he leaves after the daily briefing.

Harry looked at Smith to see if the auror was going to say anything. While he was doing a very good Vernon Dursley impression right down to the throbbing vein in the forehead, it seemed the auror team leader realized he was out-gunned and kept quiet.

Harry turned to Evelyn and took up her hand and kissed it, "Evelyn, as always it is a pleasure to see you. Maybe next time I'll have time for a beer and a bit of a chat?"

Evelyn blushed, "I hope so Harry although hopefully we can do it without another bar brawl breaking out!" Evelyn's face clouded up, "Don't let anyone get too down on Jimmy Patterson. He may have thrown the first punch but that idiot Maxwell Weasley had just slapped Parkinson. Jimmy might be a little rough and a bit free with those hands of his but he's a generally good bloke. A lot better than most of the riff-raff in the Alley these days."

Harry chuckled and gave a half-bow, "I'll make sure Mr. Patterson gets a fair shake although I'm betting he'll be on the first boat out tomorrow so we won't see him for a bit." Beyond all the good dirt he uncovered on the docks, Jimmy's work cover allowed Harry to have him disappear convincingly in circumstances likes this.

With a nod and a smirk to Smith, Harry quickly made his way to the nearest apparition point. He had a date to shag a pretty lady and he'd been denied it for too long.

**XxXxX**

**59 CHARING CROSS ROAD, LONDON, – AUGUST 20th 2012 – EARLY MORNING**

Harry sighed happily as he pulled out of Pansy and rolled over. He summoned his wand and banished his condom and cast a few other spells to clean up.

Pansy laughed a bit drunkenly, still coming down from her post-coitus high, "You are such an odd duck Harry. Most blokes are right slobs and are in a hurry to just roll over and fall asleep in a pool of their own spunk."

Harry chuckled to himself, "I would think that by now, Pansy, you would realize I am _**not**_ most blokes." Harry stretched and grunted happily as various joints popped. This was by far a much more pleasing physical workout than chasing after some skel over fences and through back alleys.

He looked over at Pansy who had her eyes closed while idly running her hand up and down his chest. It was times like this Harry truly enjoyed. Plus it was times like this that Pansy looked her best in Harry's opinion. So much so that he felt compelled to mention it.

"You know Pansy; I have to say you really put one over the Ministry. I'm sure they thought hitting you with the Shaming Punishment was going to put it to you but I think you've taken ownership of the style," Harry said earnestly.

Pansy merely smiled and didn't bother to open her eyes as she ran her other hand over the stubble on her head, "Yes well I'm sure they didn't expect Pretty Pansy Parkinson to reinvent herself as Punk Pansy Parkinson. Besides in my line of work you end up wearing wigs more often than not so having to keep my head shaved turned out for the best."

Harry nodded at this. While Pansy was spelled so that she had to keep her hair cut short and bare in public, there was nothing which said she couldn't put a wig on while 'on the job' as it were.

Pansy fingered one of her piercings before going on, "I'm sort of glad you pushed me out into the Muggle world so I could learn about things. Every tattoo and piercing I get is just another 'fuck you' in the face of everyone. Besides, it makes me a lot of money on the other side."

"How do you keep that stubble uniform? I thought the spell you are required to use should keep your head bald?" Harry asked curiously.

Pansy opened her eyes and Harry could see a mischievous look worthy of the Twins, "Well if I use the spell then yes I'd be as bald as Shacklebolt. However since I use a special Muggle razor, you know the ones that allow men to keep a 5 day shadow? Well as long as my hair is cut, it keeps me from being magically forced to spell my hair."

"Well I for one think it suits you. You've certainly have taken life's lemons and at least used them to spice up your tea," Harry said. "I know things have been rough for you but I figure most people thought you'd be a wreck begging for knuts in Knockturn Alley by now."

Pansy shrugged, "I probably would have if you hadn't taken the time to push me out of my funk."

Harry chuckled, "I think it is more honest to say I fucked you out of your funk."

Pansy pinched Harry's side, "Prat! You know what I mean." Pansy was silent for a moment before rolling over to face Harry, "I know Granger always said you had a 'saving people thing' but I never thought I'd ever be on the receiving end of it."

Harry shrugged, "The Ministry decided to use you and a lot of the other Slytherins as an example. The fact they let certain families slide after some galleons changed hands just once again proves the more things change, the more they stay the same."

The two lovers laid there and listened to the sounds of London's streets coming up from below. Finally Harry frowned, "Do you resent Millie? That she got her punishment rescinded?"

Pansy scoffed as she made a dismissive gestured, "Millie did what she was told so she couldn't really be held accountable now could she? Besides it sounds to me like she earned her pardon. She seemed pretty happy and productive when I saw her at that clinic you set Moon up with."

Before Harry could say anything, Pansy went on, "Besides let's be honest about things. House Parkinson and Rowle had most of our gold taken by the Dark Lord so we weren't in any position to bribe our way out of anything. Since Millie's parents actually make money doing arty stuff instead of lording around old money like Lucius used to, well I'm not surprised things changed after everything settled down."

Harry nodded, "That and Francine Bulstode's designs are worn by pretty much every elite in England. I'm sure all it took was a few movers and shakers' wives needing an emergency gown at the last minute to get the wheels moving in Millie's favor."

Pansy hummed in agreement, "Plus bad boy or not, I know your vote still holds a lot of sway. Given her work at the Isis Foundation, I'm sure most people figured you knew what you're talking about when you put in a good word for her. So no I don't resent Millie and I don't think Tyra does either. Can't say the same about the Carrow twins since we were never that tight and them being in Canada and all."

Pansy face distorted into a disgusted scowl, "As for Miriam Jugson, well she always was her father's daughter so I'm surprised she hasn't landed her way into Azkaban even if she has made a life for herself as a potion mistress. She certainly enjoyed showing her skill in curses on others especially Longbottom."

Harry nodded at this. The Carrows making students curse each other had really shown the students a lot about themselves. Pansy had told him she'd ended up like Draco; sick at heart what being follower of a Dark Lord was really about. Miriam Jugson, on the other hand, showed how someone like Bellatrix LeStrange started down her road. Like Draco, Miriam was on Harry's personal watch list.

That list had another person but for an altogether different reason. Even before his debacle with Hannah, Neville had needed some watching. While he had made a lot of enemies and had a lot of former friends throw their hands up at his post-war actions, his estrangement from Neville was something he felt was mostly of the other Gryffindor's making. In fact, Harry felt Neville was on track to become the Severus Snape replacement at Hogwarts if things he'd heard from his kids were to be believed. Having felt the full brunt of the bitterness Snape had kept close to his heart, Harry felt a keeping a tacit watch on the Hogwarts Professor was a prudent precaution.

The thought of his children crystallized some things he had been thinking about in the back of his mind while having sex with Pansy, "Pansy, can I ask you something?"

Pansy, who had once again closed her eyes and was fighting off sleep, opened them and made a face, "When have you ever asked me permission to question me, Agent Potter?"

Harry chuffed at that, "No Pansy I'm serious. I have a question for you that is rather personal and I don't want it too come out the wrong way.

Hearing an odd pleading tone in Harry's voice, Pansy drowsiness vanished. Harry _had_ been in a mood earlier, she remembered so she simply nodded for him to continue.

Harry looked out the small window of Pansy's flat. Of course calling it a flat was being charitable as it really was more of an old maintenance room on top of the roof of the building and only magic had made it useable as a studio.

After gathering his thoughts for a moment, Harry finally asked what had been bothering him for awhile, "Pansy…how come you never tried to have a kid with me? I mean for someone in your position, getting pregnant would be a smart move. You know I would provide for you and the child. I might not be much of a dad to any of my kids but I always make sure they are provided for. Plus if you had a son, well it might smooth things out with your family."

Pansy was silent for a moment. Finally she frowned, "I thought about it, Harry. Merlin knows I thought about it often enough. But you know what? I've always felt it was the cheap, easy way out. The way everyone would expect me to take if they knew you and I have had the sort of relationship we have. I may not be living any sort of life I expected but it's _mine_. I think you can relate to that."

Harry nodded. He did indeed.

Pansy shrugged, "Besides, even if I did have a kid, what would I do? I mean would I just be a kept woman, dependent on you to provide for me and our child, right? What sort of job could I do to keep from going crazy while being a single mother? Being a pro isn't much of a job but it is one where I call the shots, decide who I sleep with. It's not the most uplifting job but I'm in control of what I do and that is more than quite a few witches we went to school with can say."

Harry nodded again. Daphne had often bemoaned how Tracey's husband was a jealous sort who control her life and quite a few of the Pureblood witches were little more than window dressing on the arms of their husbands regardless of their Hogwarts achievements.

Pansy smiled a bit smugly, "Yeah I fuck for a living but over the years I've managed to snag some pretty important johns and I've heard and learned a lot. It's allowed me to become one of your better contacts so I can say I'm being a lot more productive in giving back to our world than people like the Weasel."

Harry had to laugh at that. Ron Weasley spent his time being little more than a flunky to his brother George when not being an assistant coach (again barely much more than a flunky) to the Cannons who still were the leagues worst team. For all his fame from the war, Ron certainly hadn't gone far in life.

"So where do you see yourself going in life?" Harry finally asked when it was apparent Pansy wasn't going to go on.

Pansy shrugged again, "Well tonight's incident has me thinking that my current plans are looking better and better. I've been working on my dancing in my off time. You don't want to just jump into pole dancing and the like without some practice let me tell you!"

Harry smirked, "I'd pay money to see some of that."

Pansy laughed, "That's the whole point you idiot!"

"Have you done any research on this or is this new?" Harry asked. Pansy hadn't ever said anything about this so he was curious.

Pansy nodded, "My plan is to get a job at the Spearmint Rhino. It's not far from here and they treat their girls pretty well. I talked to one of their DJ's and they think an 'edgy punk gal' would sell well. My looks may not stack up against witches who can spell themselves pretty, but I think I'm ahead of most Muggles."

"That and the fact you still look only about 22 and will for a decade or so will help," Harry said thoughtfully.

Pansy beamed, "Exactly! I'll keep my looks and so I can build up a fan-base here in London and over the internet. In a decade I think I'll be doing pretty well for myself. I've talk to a lot of the girls and a lot of them have no real control over their lives. I wouldn't have that problem as it'll be a cold day in hell before I let any man, Muggle or Magical, mess with me. I figure I might get into managing the girls and their careers so they aren't taken advantage of."

Harry chuckled at this, "I'm sure your father would be rolling in his grave if he had died from that curse during the Battle of Hogwarts. Pansy Parkinson; Pureblood princess protecting Muggle strippers. Of course if he finds out about you doing this, it might put him into the ground."

Pansy snorted at this, "Serves them right for just allowing me to drop out of society when they were the ones to raise me and tied me to Draco. How I live my life isn't any of their business now. Who knows? I could do a few pornos and maybe even branch out into regular movies. Regardless of what happens, I should be pretty well set by the time I'm 50 which means I'll have plenty of time for a family if I want. Then I might be more inclined to let you seed my garden if you were of the mind to still play farmer if I haven't found my own gardener."

Harry laughed, "Wouldn't that just stick in the craw of the likes of Lavender! She's always going on about how many people read her tawdry columns in the Prophet and Teen Witch Weekly. Yet with a bit of work, you'll have guys all around the world having one off the wrist behind their computers!"

The thought of Pansy doing some pole dancing had reawakened Harry's 'pole' for another round. With a practiced hand, he summoned a condom, spelled it on along with a few other spells before he rolled over onto Pansy. His reawakened erection slid easily into Pansy who was still wet from their previous tryst, "I hope you'll give me a price break on your web-cams and perhaps some free minutes of streaming video? Don't forget us little people when you become a star!"

Pansy laughed and kissed Harry deeply as the wizard began to thrust into her with deep, slow strokes. "Merlin Harry, I see how you've managed to bed practically every witch who strikes your fancy. I can't think of too many people I know except for maybe Tyra who wouldn't look down their nose at my plan. You? You accept it without blinking."

Harry returned the kiss, "What can I say, Pansy? You've got a plan and by refusing to use me as a 'get out of jail' card shows you have more brass than 90% of witches and wizards in the UK. If you need any help, you know you can ask me. Hell I could probably start up my own club and have your run it since sex sells as the say. Penny is always after me to diversify my portfolio!"

Pansy bucked her hips against Harry and pretended to pout, "Well since you're paying for this sex, how about you pay attention to me and enjoy it instead of talking about investments?"

Harry sighed as Pansy clenched her internal muscles of her sex around his thrusting cock, "I'm never in any danger of not enjoying myself in your bed, Pretty Pansy Parkinson!"

**OoOoO**

Harry carefully got of bed so as not to wake Pansy. A few silent spells and he was dressed. He dropped double the amount of coins than needed quietly on the nightstand. While Pansy would cheerfully have sex with him for free, Harry always paid so her records (which she meticulously kept) wouldn't show a gap on a normal working night for her. Harry himself was very careful with his own records of what he had paid Pansy for information given that came out of a MI-7 fund. On some nights, if she had a lot of useful info followed by sex, Pansy could come away with a tidy sum. Of course Harry always double-paid the rate for sex. She could use the money and it wasn't like he needed it.

Harry quietly opened the side door out to the roof and went to the edge where he could look down on Charring Cross Road as the rising sun cast long shadows over the waking streets of London. From this angle he could barely make out the door to the Leaky Cauldron. Even after a full night of sex, Harry's cock twitched when he thought how close Hannah was. Even though both of them tried to stay away from each other after the events which lead to the messy divorce between her and Neville, so far both had failed and still fell into bed together from time to time.

Harry sighed. No matter how badly things had turned out, he took refuge in the fact that out of it came a delightful result. Abigail Abbot would be starting Hogwarts come September and Harry was sure the girl would overcome the infamous events which brought about her birth. She'd shine just like so many of his kids had so far.

No thanks to him, of course, Harry thought ruefully. Of all his many bastards, only Rose had had much contact with him in a parenting sort of way. Even then he had managed to cock it up by having the fallout with Hermione. Even so Rose had defied her mother and taken his name on her seventeenth birthday. Luckily her decision to become Rose Potter hadn't damaged her relationship to her brother who still went by Hugo Granger. Happily it seemed Hermione had finally gotten over her anger in regards to her first-born.

Harry smiled wryly. Hermione probably realized she was less angry at Rose and still mostly angry at Harry so she needn't take it out on her daughter. Bad enough she had to be estranged from Ron even if he wasn't actually her father after the machinations of Molly Weasley had come to light. That and the fact that Rose had Harry's temper and Hermione's mind so she could hold her own in an argument with her mother.

Harry looked at his watched and realized he had plenty of time to apparate up to Cambridge and maybe catch up with his oldest child before seeing what Shacklebolt wanted. For some reason he'd been thinking about his children a lot lately and Rose was the easiest one to connect with.

Maybe it was left over unease about the feelings of unrest in the Alley, but Harry felt like there was something in the wind. Something dangerous. Maybe that was why he suddenly felt the need to see his kids and ensure they were alright.

Harry walked over to the owl coop that Pansy kept as a way to make some extra money. A small bell rung in any of the Leaky Cauldron rooms would summon one of the birds for a guest. The coop also made a covered place from which to apparate unseen from.

None of the owls gave Harry more than a glance even as Harry felt pang of sadness over the loss of Hedwig, long gone these twenty years.

Harry shook himself. Merlin he was being maudlin of late! Hopefully Shack might be calling him in with a mission. He needed something to clear out the cobwebs!

Used to Pansy and Harry comings and goings, none of the owls were startled when Harry vanished with a quiet pop. However one owl took notice of Harry's leaving and immediately took wing and flew southwest away from the rising sun.

**XxXxX**

**Chapter Three Preview**: Harry meets with Rose for a little morning tea and a chat. Yet who is Basil the Smarmy and why is he interrupting father-daughter time?

**XxXxX**

**Author's Notes**: It's funny to be writing a cop drama when I can't stand the glut of CSI/NCIS etc shows on TV! However I almost have enough Criminal Justice credits to have a lower divisional degree in it so I guess between all that and my military experience I shouldn't be surprised this sort of story is bleating to be written.

**The Good Ship Harry**: I know many of you desperately need to know the ship in a story. Well right now there isn't one. Oh sure Harry has had sex with plenty of witches and will continue to do so but right now I don't know what the ship will be or even if there will be one. Will Harry reconcile with Hermione? Will Luna show up like she does in most of my fics? What about Katie or Daphne? Right now I don't know. All I do know is we'll all find out together.

**How JKR's Lets it slide**: Amazing how the Unforgivables seem not to be so bad later in the series. I mean I don't know about you but if the Cruciatus curse is THAT bad, having it used by children on other children should have provoked much more of a response. It strains logic that with every witch and wizard having a deadly weapon in a wand that even someone like Voldemort would allow the Carrows to do things which would almost definitely provoke unrest. That and JKR seemed to believe the ends justified the means given that Harry used the Imperious Curse in Book 7 as well.

**Spells**

Fulmen Potentia: Force Lightning – I'm sure most of you probably guessed which game Harry cribbed this from!

Evax: Got you! Although it can also mean 'bingo' or I guess that is the closest English equivalent of the same sort of 'Ha! Ha! Got it!' sort of exclamation in Latin.


	3. A Rose By Any Other Name

**DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: **_It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the grace of coffee that thoughts acquire speed, the back acquires strains, the strains become a warning. The warning is that I make no money from this. It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. _

**PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER**: "_Truths and roses have thorns about them_."** – Henry David Thoreau**

**XxXxX**

**CHAPTER THREE – A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME**

**XxXxX**

**AUNTIES TEA SHOP, 1 ST. MARY'S PASSAGE, CAMBRIDGE – AUGUST 20th 2012 – MORNING**

Rose Potter splashed a bit of milk into her tea and absentmindedly stirred it while reading the paper. People who knew her only through classes they shared would be surprised to see her reading the entertainment section. Those who did know her knew she'd read all the news and other weighty issues later while taking a break between classes or studying.

Unlike her mother, Rose was better at indulging in entertainment which didn't require a lot of brain-power or doubled as just another avenue of learning. Since today was Sunday, the weightier issue would keep till later in the day before she started reviewing for her upcoming end-of-quarter exams.

A plate with a scone on it was placed next to her which was rapidly followed by a bloke sitting down at her table. Rose looked up with a scowl. With her brilliant green eyes and amber hair, she was forever shooting down guys wanting to chat her up. The angry comment died on her lips when she realized the man across the table was looking back at her with the same green eyes she had.

"Harry!" Rose exclaimed and leaned over to hug her father with the same exuberance only the daughter of Hermione Granger could bring.

**OoOoO**

Harry was always amazed how his daughter could give him such a hug that he'd feel it even through his under-armor. He'd often wondered if Granger girls fueled their hugs with latent magic. Harry was a bit sad that his oldest child usually called him Harry instead of dad especially since Rose was the only one of his children outside of Colin and Dora he felt he had been anything close to a father to.

Of course he'd thought he was just acting as a good godfather should before everyone (including himself) found out he actually _was_ the girl's father.

The only children of his who regularly called him dad other than his kids from Ginny were the fraternal twins Henri and Jeanne and even then it was papa rather than dad. Maybe it was because they were raised in France or maybe it was because Gabrielle, their mum, was on good terms with him. Harry often visited her and her husband Antonie Chastain during the holidays since his issues in England were seen in a different light in France.

Beyond Rose, the twins were probably the most comfortable with their father of all his older children. Harry often wished he could have spent more time with the twins when they were growing up but as with all of his children, Harry mostly kept away so as not to disturb their family dynamic. Harry was just glad that Antonie and Gabrielle were such wonderful parents to the twins and were always happy to see him when he did visit.

It helped that unlike almost all of his other children, Henri and Jeanne had been planned so Antonie wasn't marrying into a scandal as quite a few wizards had. Of course neither Harry nor Gabrielle had expected twins or that Gabrielle would give birth to a son given the rarity of boys born to Veela. The twins were the happy outcome of Gabrielle having to settle her life-debt to Harry before she could ever hope to marry due to her Veela nature. While the younger Delacour would have been happy to have Harry as a husband, she had understood when he said that he was in a bad place at the time and barely could stand to be around himself let alone a wife.

Even so, the time they had spent together ensuring Gabrielle got pregnant and satisfied the conditions of the life-debt and the contract birth which was needed to make the children legitimate had been a time of healing for him. While it hadn't done much to help his habit of falling into one social disaster after another, it had helped him get back in the game enough so he could at least try to be as much of a father behind the scenes his other children would need.

Children like Rose.

Harry smiled and half-listened to his oldest child, born of a desperate night alone in the wilderness while searching for Horcruxes, as she happily filled him in with the recent events in her life. No matter how bad things got with him, no matter how nasty the public scorn or night terrors which robbed him of his sleep got, Harry was always amazed at how anything as truly wonderful as Rose Potter could have come about because of him.

Rose stopped talking and cocked her head to the side in a manner obviously picked up from her godmother Luna, "You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?" The smile on her face told him she wasn't angry.

"Sorry Rose; off with the pixies as usual," Harry said in way of apology. "I doubt any child wants to listen to their parents get all gushing and gooey over them but there are days I can't wrap my head around the fact I had a hand in bringing something as wonderful as you into the world."

Rose blushed, "Dad!"

Harry grinned. If there was one way he could always count on to get her to call him dad was to embarrass her! "I know, I know. Forgive your "old man" his foibles." Harry said while making air quotes over old man. Even though he was 18 years older than his daughter, most people seeing them together would mistake Harry for being her slightly older brother.

Rose took a sip of her tea and nibbled on the scone Harry had brought her. Seeing Harry wasn't about to make conversations she figured she needed to move it along. "Any special reason you're here? Not that I'm complaining, mind you or that you need an excuse to drop by."

Harry shrugged, "Had a bit of a rough night in the Alley. Things have been quiet after the Olympics but there is something off. Got involved in a barn-burner of a bar fight which normally wouldn't bother me but it's just the energy in London. Something feels wrong. I'm being called in by Director Shacklebolt later this morning so maybe there _is _something going on."

"And you wanted to come check up on me, right?" Rose asked.

Harry nodded, "Well maybe a bit. You are the most obvious and out there of my kids right now. Anything happens and it'll probably be to you since Colin is across the pond at M.I.T. and Dora will be at Hogwarts soon. I'm figuring Teddy sneaky enough that he can probably morph his way out of anything which comes his way. As for the rest, well most of them will be at Hogwarts or safe at home."

"Have you heard from Colin lately? The prat hasn't written or answered his email of late," Rose asked crossly. Rose had always been tight with her half-brother and it was obvious his silence was upsetting to her.

"I'm pretty sure he's still off with Luna doing some field work for one of his classes so I'm not surprised he's been out of touch for awhile. I'm sure he'll respond to his favorite half-sister soon," Harry reassured his daughter. Unlike Rose who had follower her mother to Cambridge to work on a Muggle education after Hogwarts, Harry's oldest from his marriage to Ginny had decided to go to the Miskatonic Institute of Thaumaturgy to do his upper graduate work in magic.

While quiet and studious, he never shirked from hard work or danger. Given some of the safaris Luna went on, this wasn't always the best thing for Harry's nerves. He felt he knew now how Hermione must have felt watching him play Quidditch and feeling a bit helpless about not being in control. Yet for all his parental concern, Harry knew his son wasn't just the quiet bookworm some thought him to be. He was a Potter after all!

Harry was proud of Colin and had tried to help him as much as he could given that Ginny had always despaired that he was more like Hermione in nature than either Harry or herself. She hadn't taken it well when Colin had been sorted into Ravenclaw and never seemed to give him the praise his academic record at Hogwarts deserved. In fact Ginny had openly 'joked' how if she hadn't been the one to give birth to him, she would have sworn Colin was actually Hermione's child.

Harry knew Colin tried to put a brave front in the face of this subtle abuse from his own mother but Harry's own fucked up childhood made him very sensitive to the boy's need to try to win some acceptance. That he had to try to get this from his own mother was something Harry would never forgive Ginny for. Sadly even the dangerous outings to study and/or capture some of the magical world's most dangerous beasts hadn't done much to change Ginny's opinion of her eldest son.

Of all the mistakes Harry had made in his life, it was allowing himself to fall into despair and be outmaneuvered by Ginny and the rest of the Weasley family into losing custody of Colin and Dora which ate at him the most. He had always worked hard to make it up to them but Harry knew no matter how much they both seemed to like him better than their mother, his not being there for them when they were young lay between them like a chasm.

Rose must have sensed his mind was wandering dark pathways he always went down when thinking of his ex-wife because she quickly spoke up, "Why were you in the Alley last night? I would have figured with all that time you spent keeping people like Uncle Ron from blowing the Statute of Secrecy that you'd be down in southern France hitting the beaches or something. Where you working or just seeing Pansy Parkinson?"

Harry almost replied without thinking before he caught himself. He looked at Rose with suspicion. "Why do you think I'd be seeing Pansy Parkinson of all people?" Harry asked dangerously.

Rose threw up her hands, "Whoa there! I'm not judging you! Who you sleep with is your business."

Harry scowled and leaned closer to Rose who couldn't help but back away at the sudden menace her father was radiating. "I'm not worried about you judging me. I want to know how you know I've been sleeping with her."

Rose found herself suddenly and quite viscerally understanding some of the stories she had heard over the years about her father. In so many stories, people talked about how Harry's eyes were like that of a cobra's and when he focused on you, his gaze held you in their grip like a vice.

"Well I've overheard Aunt Ginny and mum talking about it. Well more of mum listening while the Wicked Witch ranted and bitched about it. Why is it important? You having sex with a prostitute seems pretty low on the scale of things people are usually angry at you over." Rose said in what she hoped was a placating tone.

Harry made a quick airy gesture, "That's not the point! Yes Pansy is a prostitute but she's also one of my best contacts and I've been _very_ careful never to be seen with her as Harry Potter unless I'm doing official business openly. Every time I've been with Pansy in any other context has been in one of my covers so how did Hermione and Ginny find out I am occasionally sleeping with her?"

Rose blinked at this. Even while she thought the Daily Prophet was 99% rubbish, it was easy to fall into the trap of thinking her father was an out-of-control man-slut who bounced from one social disaster to another. People often forgot that Harry was the top Hit-Wizard in all of England as well as one of the wealthiest wizards in Europe on top of being a Wizengamot member and head of four houses. Thus he had lots of irons in the fire which the average wizard and witch on the street couldn't conceive of.

Harry backed off a bit but still said with deadly urgency, "Rose I need you to think about every time you've heard your mum or Ginny talk about Pansy. It may be nothing but at the very least they are in danger of blowing some of my covers as well as endangering Pansy's life if it comes out she's a contact of mine. This is serious. I'm sure you are very aware of the penalties for breaking the Crown's secrecy laws. The last thing I want to see is your mum having to spend some rather unpleasant time as a _guest_ of Her Majesty's gaols." Harry left unsaid that he felt such time in prison might do Ginny's ego some good.

Rose nodded and thought a bit. Finally she sighed, "Well I wish I could give you some concrete info but I can't really remember anything which would tell you how Ginny found out. All that I think I can safely say is mum found out via Ginny. I'm sure you won't be surprised to know that mum tries to ignore you exist most days. She just lets Ginny vent because we all know trying to shut a Weasley up when they're on a roll is a pain in the arse."

Harry blinked at this before he chuckled, "Okay I'll give you that. Plus Hermione and I may not see eye-to-eye anymore but it'll be a cold day in Hell before your mum gives in to gossiping."

Rose laughed before turning serious, "Frankly I think Ginny is stalking you. I don't know why because it's not like she thinks she can win you back. She's just sort of bat-shit insane in regards to you. Actually..."

Harry frowned as Rose lapsed into a thoughtful silence. "Actually what?"

Rose didn't reply but drank a bit more tea and finished off her scone. Harry didn't push her since he could see Rose had what he thought of as her Hermione face on. In fact while Rose had Lily's eyes and hair color through him, when Rose was wrestling with an intellectual problem, the set of her jaw and furrowed brow screamed to the world she was Hermione Granger's daughter.

Finally she looked up, "What I was thinking is that I hadn't really thought about it in awhile but I've noticed for a long time that all the Weasleys seem rather obsessed with you. It doesn't matter where or why but any time I'm around any of them, your name always seems to come up frequently and at length. It's like they all have a shared family game of bitching about you."

Harry pursed his lips, "Well given that I did nothing to stop Molly Weasley from becoming Dementor food, I don't think that's too far fetched of a game for them to play."

Rose shook her head, "No it's more than that. In fact they rarely bring that up anymore. No, it's usually Ginny bitching about you and whoever the Prophet says you're sleeping with or it's the Weasley men complaining about your wealth or worrying about you sneaking behind their backs and sleeping with their wives."

Harry blinked at this, "The only Weasley woman beyond Ginny I've slept with is Penelope and she was safely divorced from Percy at the time. Even then I resisted considering she's my personal assistant and I'd always heard its bad form to be sleeping your employees. Penelope, however, was a _very _persistent assistant." He didn't add that she was also _very_ passionate. He was glad he gave in given that Penelope still worked for him and allowed him to be a dad to Anthony as much as his time permitted.

Rose harrumphed at that, "And that's just the sort of thing they bitch about. Never mind Percy divorced Penelope because she hadn't borne him any sons. It doesn't matter how great Athena and Helen are or how well they are doing in school, they just bitch that the girls decided to change their names to Clearwater after the divorce like Hugo did after mum kicked Uncle Ron to the curb. Worse, they all complain it is somehow your fault that Aunt Penny gave birth to a son."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle, "Well it _**is**_ my fault that Anthony is a boy. I know enough genetics to understand that basic bit of biology!"

Rose's eyes flashed in a way which made Harry's stomach clench at how much she could resemble her mother. "You know what I mean! They act like you somehow planned for Aunt Penny to have a son right after Percy divorced her to marry Rosa Puffett so he could have a son to carry on for since he finally got the votes need to be made head of House Prewitt. Apparently you wanted to shame Percy for some reason. I don't understand any of their twisted logic of their conspiracy theories about you."

Harry shook his head, "So do I get blamed for Molly Prewitt too? It sounds like it chaps Percy's arse he threw another girl with his new wife and hasn't been able to get her pregnant again since. That's got to be insanely embarrassing for a Weasley."

Rose nodded, "Pretty much. In fact Uncle Ron is convinced you've somehow cursed them all so they can't have boys and none of the others seem to disagree. Merlin, I think Uncle Bill is the worst! You'd think he'd be the voice of reason but he's the most paranoid of the lot. He almost sounds like the stories about Mad-Eye Moody in that he's convinced you're going to sneak in and shag Fleur unless he's exercising constant vigilance."

Harry frowned, "What about Charlie? Sure I can see him being angry about the whole thing with his mother but considering he bailed the minute he graduated to get away from her doesn't make it sound like he'd hold a grudge."

Rose made a face, "He's angry at having to leave Romania and taking over as the head of House Weasley since Bill has only had Victoire and Dominique and no one expects him to be able to manage a boy. That you managed it with Gabrielle is just another thing they bitch about."

Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, "So instead of being angry with Bill, he transfers this anger to me?"

Rose nodded sadly, "Pretty much. Charlie seems to have bought into the idea that you did something to make all of Arthur's sons so they'd only have girls."

Harry closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Finally he said, "What do you think?"

Rose's laugh had no humor in it, "What do I think? I think that Molly's owls are coming home to roost. I've talked a lot with Professor Tonks when I was still at Hogwarts and even more so now that I'm apprenticing with her. She and lots of others in the Healer's Guild have always had suspicions that Molly used some sort of potion to not only keep Arthur in line but to have as many kids as she did. Sure Weasleys have lots of kids but four is almost always the limit. Seven is unheard of."

Harry continued to lean back with his eyes closed, "What a coincidence that the famous alchemist who invented the twelve uses for dragon blood was so tight with their family and could have possibly helped her out in that scheme. A man who also made sure I ended up knee-deep in the same family."

Even with public opinion so often against him, when Molly Weasley's use of potions on him and Hermione had come to light, most saw it as an attempt to get at House Potter's money. If there was one crime the elite never had problem rallying against it was trying to get at their money through deceptive marriage practices. While so many held it against him that he hadn't spoken for leniency for Molly, Harry had come to realize over they years that even if he had, it probably wouldn't have matter regarding her sentencing.

"Exactly!" Rose said. "Professors Tonks' suspicions got me interested in the whole topic of long-term potion use or other magical interference on a witch's genome. It's a fascinating line of study."

Harry opened his eyes and put his glasses back on. "Given how often you see Lilith, I'm sure her research probably primed that particular intellectual pump."

Rose sighed sadly, "Yeah."

Harry frowned, "What's wrong? I thought you got along brilliantly with Lilith? I think she's been good to both you and your mum given how she forces you out of your labs to have some fun. I think Lilith has done a fine job being there for you when your mum couldn't. Merlin knows I certainly haven't."

Rose scrunched her face up, "Don't say that! You've always been there when I really needed you. How many daughters can say the country's top hit-wizard will drop what their doing to come when you call?"

Given that since he had done that very thing quite a few time made the point for her. Still Harry wondered why she might have some problems with Lilith. He hoped it wasn't the obvious. While a bit of same-gender sexual play was overlooked at Hogwarts due to the pressures of a growing magical core and teenage hormones, homosexual behavior in adults was still a major taboo in Magical Britain.

"Don't tell me people are still giving you crap about your mum's relationship to Lilith? Frankly I think they'll be able to marry any day now considering public opinion is more for it. The Ministry and its backward ways can go to the devil. If the Crown approves it, like I think they will soon, well then that's that," Harry said reassuringly.

Rose shook her head, "No…well not any more than people usual do. I've gotten very good at ignoring them just like I do all the Pureblood crap still floating around. It's just the fact that Lilith works for you and I think mum sort of feels if I end up working for the Isis Foundation that I'd end up seeing more of you and less of her. Given the direction my studies are going I'm thinking the Foundation is the way to go and this worries mum."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Bloody hell! This isn't some sort of contest for your attention and affection! Hermione is always going to be your mum no matter what you job you get and I would have thought I've been very good about showing no matter how things go down, I try never to stand in the way of any of my children and their mums and any new family they might marry into!"

Rose reached out a laid a reassuring hand over Harry's, "I know Dad, I know. Sometimes I think mum is a bit bat-shit insane about you in her own way." Rose looked unsure for a moment, like she wasn't sure if more should be said. "Look as much as mum loves Lilith, the whole thing with Uncle Ron made her feel like a victim of a rape which lasted four years. Six years if you count her Sixth Year at Hogwarts and all that time on the run chasing after Horcruxes. She feels justifiably violated."

Harry was confused, "Okay I can totally see that but what does that have to do with me?"

Rose huffed, "Honestly Harry! It has everything to do with you."

Harry's stomach clenched again. It had been a long time since he had heard 'Honestly Harry!' from Hermione and hearing it from his daughter in almost the same tones was creepy and heart-wrenching at the same time.

Rose leaned in went on in a softer voice, "Mum realized as early as the Yule Ball in your Fourth Year she had lesbian leanings. She told me she spent most of the night looking at the girls in their pretty gowns rather than paying attention to Viktor, the handsome and dashing Quidditch star. A lot of the anger she had with Uncle Ron that night was due to her own confusion making her tongue get away with her. However from something Lilith let slip, the nights you spent in the tent before Uncle Ron came back as well as that last time after Dobby died is something she can't let go of."

Harry frowned at this, "I didn't think she regretted those few nights together especially in light of her ending up with Ron was only due to potions. Besides we got you out of it and I can't see her regretting that."

Rose shook her head, "No it's not that. Mum spent almost her entire time at Hogwarts looking out for you, helping you and following you into one mad adventure after another. That leaves an emotional mark. So much of who she was was invested in you and then suddenly she was with Ron and you were with Ginny. Now she's truly in love with Lilith and you are off doing crazy things she can't control."

Harry nodded at that. Before their last fight, it was obvious to him Hermione was upset how little pull she had on him anymore. It wasn't like he didn't want to listen to her advice but so much of it came across as nagging and preachy that it set his nerves on end. Sometimes Hermione's upper middle-class upbringing came out and it sort of reminded him of how Vernon and Petunia acted. Of course ever since the break-up with Ginny, Harry had found himself sick of doing what people expected of him and this included his one-time best friend.

Rose looked sad, "I think the problem is she still loves you deeply but can't deal with her feelings on top of her equally deep feelings for Lilith. Then and her intellectual issues she has with your actions. If she was honest with herself, I'm betting she'd admit your actions make sense and frankly she helped pushed you towards many of them. She's like a computer caught in a logic-loop. She still loves you but she doesn't like what you've done with your life and so she's just not on the ball when it comes to anything regarding you. Hence this stupid idea that me working for Lilith will change things between us."

Rose looked up with an angry look, "It doesn't help the Wicked Witch always seems to pour petrol on that fire every time she can."

Harry suddenly felt old and tired, "I'm so sorry Rose. No matter what I do, it seems I just can't keep from hurting your mother."

Rose waggled a finger at him, "None of that! If there is one thing I promised Andromeda is that I'd always watch for you blaming yourself for things which either aren't your fault or at least you are only partially responsible for. Besides I think some of the reason mum is so worried about my current work is because I'm studying the Dark Mark. I think she feels I'll somehow end up in an acromantula den or get chased by a troll if I get involved in old Death Eater issues."

Harry blinked at this, "The Dark Mark? Why study that?"

Rose made a throw-away gesture, "It relates to what I was talking about earlier about magic affecting a witch's genome. A lot of the women in Death Eater families noticed their children seemed damaged if you will. Take Crabbe and Goyle for example. From what mum says they were the epitome of dumb and dumber. Yet Andromeda told me that Crabbe Senior was known for his cunning and the Goyles have been rather famous for their work in arithmancy throughout the ages."

Harry nodded, "And yet Vinny and Greg could barely tie their shoes. For that matter for having a mum like Narcissa, Draco was a disaster. Lucius might have been a bastard but he was a powerful and cunning bastard." Harry left unsaid that Lucius was also a dead bastard. His murder was still on the books as an unsolved hate crime.

Rose beamed, "Exactly! So it is my theory that the Dark Mark somehow acted on the Death Eater's children. Now while in the Weasley's case it was potions affecting the mother, the Dark Mark had to be affecting the fathers since it was rare a witch was given the mark. Yet even so the kids were damaged. I've talked to Millicent Bulstrode a few times and she has said most of the Slytherin girls were worried about it. I'd like to talk to Pansy Parkinson about it some day because Millicent says Pansy got rather frantic about it after Draco took the Mark. So it would seem she was more aware of this affect than most."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "So you're thinking whatever Molly took to have more kids along with whatever potions she said she used to snag Arthur is causing all of the Weasley girls in this generation?"

"That's my theory," Rose said. "I think Molly started using the potion after her miscarriage in 1974."

"Miscarriage? I never knew she had a miscarriage!" Harry said.

Rose nodded, "Didn't you ever wonder about the gap between Charlie and Percy? Molly gave birth every two years from 1964 till 1974 except for 1968 when she had the miscarriage. Of course the Wicked Witch was conceived only eight months after Uncle Ron was born. I've often wondered about the timing in her birth. Given her having children like clockwork, one would expect a 'whoops baby' to have been conceived in November of '74 right after Voldemort fell. I mean most of the year behind you had birthdays in August because of the celebrations after the end of the War."

"So you think Ginny was planned?" Harry asked.

Rose nodded, "I do. The Prophecy was made to Dumbledore in late August of 74. He tells your parents to go into hiding towards the end of November. So he must have determined you or Neville were the Chosen One. What better way to mold his future weapon against Voldemort than through a girlfriend or bride from a House which owes him so much?"

Harry mulled this over a bit, "Considering no one could have foreseen Voldemort losing his body back in '75, Dumbledore must have assumed Neville or I would be much older when we'd finally have to face old Moldyshorts. So yeah, I guess you're right to be suspicious. I guess I never really thought of it that way."

Rose shrugged, "Given Dumbledore's reputation, I don't think many people have. The people most likely to ask the right questions, like you for example, just wanted to put it all behind them. Anyway getting back to Percy, you see a big difference in personality in the Weasley children starting with Percy." Rose said as she continued her mini-lecture in almost the same tone her mother used long ago when lecturing him.

"However even though Charlie wasn't conceived under the potion, both he and his wife have had long-term exposure to a potion they both took as dragon handlers to help mask their human smell in order to make the dragons less aggressive against them. I think this is also why Charlie and his wife have had only one child after years of trying. It is a rather common occurrence in long time dragon handlers." Rose concluded.

Harry nodded, "And even then it was another Weasley girl. Given that so many dragon handlers either die young or don't have a career as long as Charlie did would keep that hidden hazard out of common knowledge"

A thought suddenly struck Harry, "But what about Hugo? How can Ron go on about me supposedly sabotaging the Weasley men when he himself has the only son in the family? Or does Hugo not count since he decided to become a Granger rather than stay a Weasley?" Harry often wondered if Ron somehow blamed him for that as well.

Rose's face hardened. It reminded Harry of the look Hermione had right before she punched Draco Malfoy back in their Third Year, "Yes, yes he does have the only son. Can you think of the only difference between Hugo and all of his female cousins besides Victoire and Dominique?"

The anger in Rose's eyes helped Harry make the connection, "Ah…Hugo is the only child whose mother isn't a Pureblood."

"And don't think that hasn't come up quite often. Over the years I've come to find that except for a few families like the Bones and Greengrasses, all the Pureblood families look down on Muggles and Muggleborn. Some are just less obvious about it," Rose said with poorly covered anger.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I know, Rose; I know. When I look back at things I can remember the first day I met Ron and how he told me how his family was ashamed and didn't mention Molly's squib accountant cousin. Or how Arthur always acted like Muggles were wonderfully clever animals who managed to somehow mimic what Magicals did."

Rose scoffed at this, "Fat lot of good it did him. You'd think all those years of working in Muggle relations would have kept him from walking out in front of a bus. Survives two Voldemort wars only to be run over by a Routemaster!"

Harry nodded sadly; he missed Arthur and often wondered how things would be if he was still alive. "Well in his defense I'm sure that tour bus probably reminded him of the Knight Bus and so he unconsciously felt it would be able to avoid him or stop on a penny like the magical bus can."

Rose dismissed this, "Quit making excuses for them, Harry! I've heard plenty of comments to the point where I'm surprised mum hasn't been called a mudblood yet. There have been a few times Uncle Percy seems to have just barely caught himself in time before saying it when I'm around."

Harry snorted at this. He'd noticed the same thing a few times at Wizengamot parties after a session. Put a few drinks into Percy and his tongue started to get away from him. Then he became boring _and_ insulting at the same time.

Rose looked into Harry's eyes for a moment, a calculating expression on her face, "I've given a lot of thought about this because I think Molly's trial didn't go far enough. So much of it focused on her use of potions to get you and the Wicked Witch together. Sure getting mum away from you is supposedly the reason she had potions used on her but why would Molly of all people have her fall in love with her Pureblood son? It only makes sense if Dumbledore pushed her to do it so as not to break up the Golden Trio."

Harry wished he was more surprised at his daughter's comments but he wasn't. He often had similar thoughts over the years. Given how Molly had reacted to Skeeter's articles back in his Fourth Year made it odd that only two years later she'd be okay with her little Ronnikins dating a Muggleborn considering the Prewitts and Weasleys had been Purebloods for generations.

"I guess that's another reason I feel like I've hurt your mum, Rose. She got potioned because of me. Of course I think you're absolutely right. It was just another set of controls. I mean if the intent was only to get her away from me, you'd figure a gay old man like Dumbledore would have picked up on your mum's budding lesbian leanings and had pushed her to Lilith. Hermione and Lilith had been study buddies since First Year so she would have been the obvious choice. That she ended up with Ron given Molly's feelings had to mean there was more going on behind the scenes." Harry said.

Rose nodded her head a few times in agreement, "Since the Headmaster seemed to have planned things right down to the point of giving you the fake Resurrection Stone with those bogus simulations of Sirius and your parents it does make perfect sense. I mean Dumbledore knew enough about Uncle Ron to give him the Deilluminator to let him get back to you."

"Yes, well I think given recent history, no one at the trial was going to bring up anything which might tarnish the image of the late, great Albus bloody Dumbledore," Harry said with real bitterness in his voice.

"Well there was another thing staring everyone in the face which never got brought up and that was Bill and Fleur. I honestly believe the only reason Bill ended up with Fleur is because Dumbledore wanted it that way and Molly had to go along like she did with Uncle Ron." Rose stated confidently.

Harry felt he should be more surprised by Rose's theory but he found he really wasn't, "I always did wonder about Bill and Fleur's relationship. I mean it seemed rather off the wall that the daughter of a French Minister would end up in the London branch of Gringotts. The only time I can think of when Bill and Fleur might have met was during the First Task."

"Not to mention Fleur was already top of the amateur class in the continental broom racing league. She easily had the pick of teams after graduation. So why would she give it up to become nothing more than a glorified clerk to the goblins?" Rose asked.

"Eeenglish goblins at that," joked Harry. "You make a good point. Even more so when you realize Fleur suddenly started channeling Molly after she got married. I mean the Fleur I knew as a Tri-Wizard Champion was a far cry from the apron wearing home-maker I found after fleeing Malfoy Manor. Of course the question I have is what would Dumbledore get out of Bill marrying Fleur? Was it to keep Bill tied down and settled so he wouldn't be off rooting around crypts in Egypt?"

Rose shrugged, "That could be but going think how all of Dumbledore's plan revolved around you . You _did_ have two French Veela daughters to a very important family who owed you life-debts. What happened if the Delacours decided to invite you to France for a summer after the Tournament? I'd bet my trust fund they probably offered but Dumbledore turned them down citing safety concerns. Had you gone, your godfather could have followed and who knows how that might have played out? It certainly would have thrown off Dumbledore's plan."

Harry's face hardened. Damn! Why hadn't he ever seen that angle? It was so fucking obvious! Once again the Headmaster had worked to nip in the bud a potential avenue of Harry to escape the Dursley and live with Sirius!

Before Harry could say anything, four men (students by the look of them) came over to the table. The tallest had a smarmy look on his face so of course it was him that spoke up. "Hey Rose, I'm surprised to see you here with a guy. It's so unlike you."

Harry didn't let his face change but inwardly he was livid for Rose's sake. While Hermione and Su Li where very busy with their research projects, Hermione taught a lot of under-graduate classes at Cambridge. Her relationship to Lilith who also did lectures from time to time must have gotten into the university rumor mill.

Rose, however, didn't seem to take it personally. If anything she seemed bored with whomever the berk was, "Look Basil, you may think you're funny but I've seen paramecium with more charm than you and that's being unkind to the poor dears."

"OooOooOoo!" the guys all said together as if to pretend they were scared.

"If that is what you think is witty repartee than you need to see old Professor Tweedy for some remedial rhetoric!" Basil the Smarmy said with a sneer. His goons, of course, all chuckled at this.

While Harry was having a bit of déjà vu to the previous night, Rose merely snarked, "Shouldn't you all be working off your hangovers with your fellow titmouses instead of bothering me? Or are you up early for another round of homoerotic groping of each other some more?"

Basil's flushed, "That's Sparrows, not titmouses you twit! And rugby isn't homoerotic at all! Why do people keep saying things like that?"

His goons all muttered in agreement while both Rose and Harry smirked to themselves.

"Well a bunch of guys in short pants rubbing against each other while trying to grab a ball sounds pretty homoerotic to me," Rose said with an evil grin. Some girls studying at another table giggled at this.

Basil ignored Rose while he pointedly sized Harry up, "Speaking of homo; who's leather-boy here? Decided to do some fag-hag time till _Little Miss Right_ comes along?"

While magic couldn't cover his facial scars enough to escape magical detection, a glamour still worked to cover them for everyday use in the Muggle world. Since he was still wearing his Hit-Wizard clothing he probably did look a bit like he might have just come out of a leather bar.

Still, Harry had to laugh at guy who barely looked like he had to shave everyday (rugby player or not) making cracks about his love life. If he only knew! "Boy, I've shagged more women in the last six months than you probably will in your entire life. A life which might be cut very short if you keep hassling Rose. Take it from someone who's been on the receiving end, she's got a temper, believe me!"

Basil and his friends all made disbelieving noises, "Yeah right. You barely look like you're out of your short pants so don't think we believe for a minute you're some bleeding Casanova."

Rose chuckled at that, "Oh Harry here is a lot older than he looks. In fact he's old enough to be my father." Rose gave Harry a wink at this which none of the society boys caught.

"I didn't realize that your mum got a bun in the oven when she was four then. Did she have a turkey-baster accident to get you into her Easy-Bake Oven?" Basil said with a sneer Draco Malfoy would have been proud of.

Harry's fake smile didn't falter but his right hand twitched which almost caused his wand to pop out from his wand-holster; a movement Rose didn't miss. "Harry don't kill him. He's not worth it. Hell, don't even bother maiming him. Having to life the rest of his life as himself is a far worse punishment."

Harry looked up at Basil and the society boy's sneer faded at the look in Harry's eyes. "Actually I knocked Rose's mother up when she was 18 and let me assure you there were no kitchen implements involved." Harry said with a tight smile.

Basil's eyes went wide at this and then he and his buddy's faces went blank when they realized the implications of his words.

Harry stood up, "You boys don't look totally convinced." He reached into his jacket and pulled out his billfold. He flipped it open so everyone could see his official identification he used in the Muggle world, "Special Agent Harry Potter at your service. As you can see, I am indeed old enough to be Rose's father."

The four students all turned pale as Harry hit them with his Hit-Wizard scowl, "That and the fact that I _**AM**_ Rose's father makes your comments to her, to her mother and by inference to me just a tad bit offensive. Now how about you all bugger off before I demonstrate for Rose some of the nifty hand-to-hand techniques I used quite often on drunks during the Olympics? While the experience would be educational in an incandescently painful sort of way to you lot, I doubt you'd appreciate the lesson."

Rose snickered as the society boys mumbled incoherent apologies and quickly turned and fled out the café. A group of girls who had been studying together before stopping to watch the exchange cheered quietly and made comments like, "Our Hero!"

Harry sat back down, "I see Basil and his gang have a reputation among the ladies."

Rose rolled her eyes, "They all come from old money and thus think all us girls should be falling all over ourselves to get into their beds. That I have more taste than that irritates them."

Harry frowned, "Do you get a lot of that? Insinuations that you're a lesbian?" Harry stopped before hastily saying, "Not that that would be a bad thing if you are."

Rose laughed in a musical way which sounded a lot more like Luna than Hermione, "Oh don't worry Dad. I can handle myself. And no I'm not a lesbian. In fact I'm hoping Victoire's cousin Dominic Delacour ends up getting that posting working for the French Ambassador at the Ministry so I can help him with his Eeenglish!"

Harry chuckled at that, "Well it worked for Bill now didn't it?" Harry stopped chuckling and frowned, "I guess maybe in light of what we were talking about maybe it didn't. Anyway, what does Dominic's dad do again?" Harry couldn't remember what Fleur's uncle did other than it was a Ministry position like Fleur's father.

"He works in the finance dealing with international trade. Jean-Paul wants Dominic to see how other countries do business. He's grooming him to take over the family business someday," Rose answered. "I hope you won't go mental if I start dating a Frenchman now will you?"

Harry laughed at this as he shook his head. He knew Rose must have heard from Fleur some of the things Molly and some of the others in the Weasley clan (or at the very least that old bat Muriel Prewitt) had said about Bill wanting to date a French girl and a Veela to boot.

Suddenly his badge began to vibrate. One of the nicest perks of his job and position as a wealthy magical lord was he had access to some neat magical toys. All he had to do was touch his billfold and state an appointment and when he wanted a reminder and the magical calendar in his office (which Penelope ran) was updated. This in turn would remind him to keep his appointment. Without it, Harry was sure he'd miss at least half of his appointments. That he had in the past was precisely why Penelope had set this system up only a month after starting as his personal assistant.

"Got to run?" Rose asked. She'd seen the familiar look on Harry's face which meant he was being paged.

Harry nodded, "Like I said, I need to see Shacklebolt today before he leaves after his morning briefing at the Ministry."

Harry leaned over and kissed his daughter, "Just let me know when and I'll see if Pansy is willing to talk about the Dark Mark and all that. I don't think she'll have a problem talking to you if you're discrete. Hell you could probably do the interview at the Isis Foundation since I know she is part of the program there."

Rose nodded thankfully, "And be sure to put a bug in Colin's ear if you hear from him. This _**is **_the 21st century and off doing magical things or not there are plenty of ways to keep in touch."

Harry smiled, "I'll be sure to let him know how much trouble he's in if he doesn't get a hold of you soon. See you on the First to see off your cousins? I know Dora and Teddy will miss you if you're not there."

Rose made a face, "I'll be there but it's so weird going to the new station. Platform 9¾ had a lot more charm. The new station looks like a steampunk novel had drunken sex with a gothic cathedral."

Harry laughed at the absurd (but oddly appropriate) view of the station which was part of the new Dumbledore Alley in Cornwall. He and people like Hermione and Justin had fought the new line stating that for a fraction of the cost of the station kids could floo to Hogwarts (as well as floo home for weekends) for decades to come. The Traditionalist were having none of that and so the new station had been built at great cost.

Harry threw down a few pound coins for a tip to make up for the earlier scene with Basil the Smarmy and his boys. "Okay love, now remember what I said. I know everyone thinks I've gone off a very deep end but if there is one thing I've found in my life is to trust your instincts. Remember what I said earlier. I think something is off in the Alley so keep an eye out. You know how things can spread when people get their knickers in a bunch over thing."

Rose nodded. She remembered the 2006 riots over the English National team getting disqualified for possible doping very vividly.

"Oh and I need you to discretely talk to Lilith and your mum about how Ginny found out about Pansy. I'd rather not have to do anything official if I can help it since that would probably end up very badly. I don't need the Weasleys hating me more than they already do." Harry said in a flat tone.

"Will do, Harry. Say hello to Shack for me and tell him thank you again for his birthday gift. I've gotten a lot of use out of it already." Rose said.

Harry kissed his daughter good-bye again and made his way out of the café leaving Rose to wondering if Ginny's obsession with her father might land her mother in prison.

**XxXxX**

**Chapter Four Preview**: Harry heads to the new Dumbledore Alley to see Shacklebolt where he gets a mission and a new partner!

**XxXxX**

**Author's Notes**: I'd like to thank all the people who helped Brit-pick this chapter. I've had to go back and make many needed corrections. That and I got Morag's last name wrong. I also, obviously, broke up this chapter. For those who care, Basil the Smarmy is part of the Cambridge Rugby Fives Club whose team is the Sparrows. I was told that Brits don't have fraternities, only societies. Oh and yes, the plural of titmouse is titmouses and not titmice. Go read **Steven Pinker**'s _The Language Instinct_ to see why.

**Aunt/Uncle**: I see the Magical world using terms like aunt and uncle to include close family which are not actually related by blood more than one might in the Muggle world. Thus while Penelope Clearwater is not Rose's aunt, she is related to her brother as well as someone she sees a lot. Likewise while Ron might have had a hand in raising her when she was young, Rose isn't going to call him father or dad.

**English Schooling**: I have no idea the terms (semesters or quarters or whatever) is used at a place like Cambridge. I'm just punting and using the American system where the summer quarter term would end prior to Labor Day. That and I realize there are a lot of Americanisms in this chapter. I have no idea what the English equivalent of a 'barn-burner' would be or if English girls got to play with Easy-Bake Ovens.

**Changes to Canon**: Obviously Bill and Fleur didn't have their son Louis as per JKR's notes.

**House Prewitt**: For those who either haven't read my other fics or have forgotten, in my personal canon, House Weasley's head was Amos Weasley. Prior to his death, Arthur had acted as the de facto head due to Amos' advanced age. After his death, Arthur took over with Bill becoming the new Heir Apparent. As the second son, Charlie had the right to claim House Prewitt which was in danger of going dark since only Molly and Muriel survived. Charlie didn't want this and took off for Romania. In this fic, with Bill not being able to produce an heir, Charlie is tapped to be the Heir Apparent. This sets up Percy to be able to petition to become head of House Prewitt but has to get a 2/3rd vote in the Wizengamot to get it. Unlike HP and the Order of the Stag, Percy has gotten the votes he needed and is now head of House Prewitt.


	4. Champion in a Cauldron

**DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: **_It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the grace of coffee that thoughts acquire speed, the back acquires strains, the strains become a warning. The warning is that I make no money from this. It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. _

**PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER**: "_There are guys in the game only because of steroids. They couldn't make it with their natural talent, so they had to enhance themselves. It sucks._"** – David Wells**

**XxXxX**

**CHAPTER FOUR – CHAMPION IN A CAULDRON**

**XxXxX**

**MINISTRY SECURITY AREA, LOCATION UNKNOWN – AUGUST 20th 2012 – MORNING**

As Harry apparated, he felt a feeling deep in his gut similar to that of a portkey. While this was normal when apparating to the new security checkpoint, it just took two nasty sensations and stuck them together in Harry's opinion. He appeared with barely a pop in the restricted area reserved for top officials and security personnel like himself.

Harry gave a curt nod to the cadet on duty who had looked like he was going to shit himself upon realizing who Harry was. The threat risk coming in from this area was minimal so it was usually staffed by trainees, aurors on light duty recovering from injuries or those on some sort of probation. Harry made his way to the main floo hall. Here the duty personnel were much more alert even though it was the weekend.

There wasn't much of a queue to get into the Ministry given that it was a Sunday which made Harry happy. Even though he had plenty of time before his meeting with Shacklebolt he didn't like standing around in a queue no matter how British he was. Everyone waiting all looked at him and then quickly looked away.

Harry couldn't help but grin to himself at this. Be afraid! It's the dangerous lunatic Harry Potter! He'll sleep with your wives and beat your crup to death with your kneazle! Then he'll steal the family silverware and make off with your daughter!

There were days he wondered why wasn't there a line of new books about him which parents would read to their kids to scare them into being good? He doubted the old Boy-Who-Lived stories were sold any more.

Of course unlike most of population of Magical Britain, Harry didn't have to come through the checkpoint as he could have easily apparated to one of the secure apparition points in the DMLE office. These points allowed certain individuals to get through the tight wards which ringed the building. Harry didn't use them because while he worked with the DMLE, he didn't work for the Ministry. While a bit more inconvenient, coming in like everyone else helped reinforce that he wasn't part of the normal Ministry system.

Harry looked around and took in the room. The entire point of this checkpoint had come about because of his efforts. Given the fact the Golden Trio had snuck into the Ministry during the Second Voldemort war highlighted the need for better security. When Harry had met with resistance in the Wizengamot for the needed upgrades, he had won the day by pointing out that not only had the so called Ministry Six got into the Ministry, they had penetrated the Department of Mysteries. That Death Eaters had also done so sort of brought up how bad Ministry security had really been.

Since the Great Move was needed to protect the Statute of Secrecy, Harry had felt it was the perfect time to change things. While physically close to the new Dumbledore Alley, the only access (beyond secure apparition point) to the Ministry building was this checkpoint. Any attempt to apparate directly into the Ministry got one bounced to this room. All the floo terminals in the Ministry were outbound only and only accepted inbound traffic from this location.

This new system kept Ministry officials from having to flush themselves to the Ministry. How that system had ever been thought to be secure had always boggled Harry's mind. How was having the same people going to a certain bathroom at the same time every week day in any way secure or secret? Yet as with the new Hogwarts Express, there had been many in the Wizengamot who seemed to imply 'getting flushed' was an important tradition needing to be kept.

"Hey Harry!"

At the sound of his name, Harry turned to see Dennis Creevey waving at him from one of the security stations. With a smile Harry quickly made his way over and eagerly shook hands with the ex-Gryffindor. Harry had grown close to the younger Creevey brother after the death of Colin. The boy had taken the death of his brother very hard and like he had with Luna, Harry helped get him through their dark time when the euphoria of Voldemort's defeat had faded and the reality of what had happen had truly sunk in.

Harry had also helped him get started in the aurors when Dennis had been adamant he wanted to make a difference. Dennis had never given in to the anti-Potter bandwagon for which Harry was very grateful. Of course Ron and Ginny hadn't been as charitable to the young Gryffindor. They had been put out that Harry had named his first-born after Colin and named Dennis as his godfather.

"What are you doing entry duty? Drop an important decimal point in the monthly reporting?" Harry asked.

Dennis shrugged as he shook his head, "I'm covering a shift for a buddy. His wife got called away on business so he needed to take his kids for their school shopping. A bit late in the season if you ask me but I don't have kids yet so what do I know?"

"We need to find a witch willing to make an honest man of you, Dennis," Harry joked. Dennis took a lot of crap from whispers that he was gay like most thought his brother had been. Harry just knew Dennis wanted to get settled in his career before starting a family. Also Harry knew full well that the hours of an auror didn't make dating or making a marriage work easy. That didn't mean Harry wouldn't tease Dennis on the subject if the opportunity presented itself.

"Yeah I'll get right on that before you sleep with all the potentials," Dennis snarked back with an evil grin.

Harry punched the younger wizard in the arm, "Cheeky git!" He looked down to see that Dennis was going over tax figures when not checking badges, "So how's life as an inquisitor?" Harry asked. Dennis worked in the fraud and tax evasion section of the DMLE. Before he stepped down as Minister, Shacklebolt had put some real teeth into this section to put the bite on bribery and corruption in the Ministry. So much so that the aurors working there were nicknamed inquisitors. It was a common joke, due to the department's acronym of _FaTE_, that you didn't want to tempt fate and risk a visit from the inquisition.

Dennis made a face, "Mostly boring as hell. However you were on the money when you told me getting into this job might give me a higher arrest rate than a beat auror. Just between you and me, that info you got in the fencing ring sting is probably going to topple some pretty important people."

Harry nodded, "Guys at FBMI always talked about how Al Capone got taken down by the FBI on tax evasion and not all the actual violent criminal activity he did. Considering how much back-scratching there is between the Ministry, the Wizengamot and the pull from the elite Houses, nailing the top people is tough. Yet we both know…"

"…follow the money!" Dennis said together with Harry.

Harry nodded then smirked, "Not as catchy as '_constant vigilance!_' but it puts the bad guys away. And speaking of bad guys I need to head off to see Shack. You have any idea why he wants to see me?"

Dennis frowned before leaning forward and lowering his voice, "No but my boss and head of Magical Games and Sports have been holding some behind-closed-door meetings recently. That and Director Shacklebolt seems to be seeing a lot more Wizengamot members privately. Whatever is going on is probably going to be politically sensitive which is where I think you come in."

Harry sighed, "And who better to call than a hit-wizard who is outside the DMLE but also a member of the Wizengamot along with head of four houses?"

Dennis winced, "Sorry Harry; just calling it as I see it."

Harry clapped his friend on the shoulder, "No offense Dennis. One of the pit-falls of being a hit-wizard is you get all the highly charged cases. Besides if I fuck up well then it isn't the Ministry's fault but that lunatic Potter, right?"

Dennis huffed in annoyance in a way which would have made Hermione proud, "Yeah and if you solve the case then you get one day of positive press before they immediately start speculating what you're going to do to celebrate…or with who."

Harry shrugged, "Story of my life Dennis. Hey if you get a chance, drop Penny a line and see if perhaps we can get a little get-together going. With the kids off to Hogwarts, I'm sure we might be able to swing a little golf with Justin and Ollie. Penny's been pretty good lately at finding open spots on everyone's calendars."

Dennis brightened at this, "That would be great, Harry! Although how Ollie ever ended up liking golf so much is still a mystery to me."

Harry laughed as he turned away as one of the floo lines had emptied out, "You and me both Dennis! Of course running my orphanage might have had something to do with it. Catch you later."

Harry walked over to duty auror and presented his badge. Harry vaguely recognized the auror but couldn't place his name. For the millionth time, he wished auror robes had name-tags like police uniforms did. The auror looked at Harry's badge and gave Harry a sardonic look he had no trouble understanding. Protocol or not, Harry was about the last person who needed to have paperwork to prove who he was.

One pinch of floo and another uncomfortable magical ride later, Harry found himself in the new Ministry building. Rose's comments about the new station for the Hogwarts Express came to mind as he took in the décor and architectural style of the building. Harry's mouth quirked at this. Calling the Ministry a building was pushing it since, like its predecessor, it was underground so it was much more a bunker than a building.

While the 'Magic is Might' theme had been hastily taken down after Voldemort fell, Harry couldn't help but feel it still existed in a different, more subtle way. Most Magicals would cut off their tongue to spite their face than admit what was just a basic truth: most of the innovations of the last two centuries were merely magical adaptations of Muggle inventions.

Even many of these like proculvism, the magical equivalent of television, had become readily available only in the last decade. The magical equivalent of computers and the Internet were only in the concept stage and then only because of Muggleborn like Hermione and Lilith's brother Shadrach kept at it. Harry felt it might be a lost cause since he felt it was easier to integrate the existing Muggle tech with shielding than create an entirely new set of machines and world-wide information network which was only going to be used by a fraction of the world's population.

As Harry walked to the DMLE offices, he saw changes he knew the Traditionalist had a direct hand in. While Diagon Alley had seemed like it was forever stuck in a Charles Dickens' era play, the old Ministry had seemed like a queer version of a modern Muggle office building. Or at least one from the 1950's or so. The furnishings had been mostly magical equivalents of Muggle items even though they still looked like the Muggle items in question.

Harry stopped at the coffee kiosk to grab a quick cuppa since he didn't want to arrive too early. As he waited, Harry wondered if the Muggleborn ever wondered at the change in clothing since the Great Move or did they simply put it down to changes in fashion? Prior to the Move, magical fashion had moved more and more to mirror Muggle clothing, especially for those in the Ministry. Now it was all robes and pointy hats and barely a necktie to be seen.

Even the Hogwarts uniform, which mimicked the early 20th century British school uniforms with the older robes over them, was in danger of being changed to a style which hadn't been used in over 200 years. And much of the call for change was coming from elements who publically stated they wanted to bring Magical Britain back to its cherished roots. Harry, on the other hand, knew for a fact that privately these same groups were upfront in their desire to stem the influence of the Muggle world upon the Magical one.

All around him was physical proof of this. It could be seen in the light fixtures. Where once were glowing panels which always reminded Harry of florescent lighting, now there were smokeless magical brands or charmed, glowing lanterns. Where there had once been carpet and muted office tones was now stone, wood paneling one might expect to see in a castle and on top of it tapestries or garish colors splashed about to contrast with the dark stone walls and floors.

All around him, Harry could spot items where he knew their function but a Muggle would have a hard time making the same connection since the designers seemed to have gone out of their way in trying to make it look different from the technological item it had been copied from. Worse is in most cases it made the item less useful than it might have been.

Harry shook his head. A steampunk novel drunkenly mated with a gothic cathedral indeed.

**XxXxX**

**DMLE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, MINISTRY BUILDING, TINTAGEL – AUGUST 20th 2012 – MORNING**

Harry waited patiently outside Shacklebolt's office and sipped the tea his assistant had given him. While he might have already had some coffee, Harry wasn't about to pass up the excellent tea an official of Kingsley's rank rated.

As much as most of the Auror Corps disliked Harry, he never got that the same vibe from the very top echelon of the department. Candace, Shacklebolt's assistant (and very competent bodyguard) had never done more than light teasing in regards to the latest scandal he had fallen into. This attitude was mirrored by the top echelon of the DMLE as well. Two senior Auror officers who had stopped in to the office to drop off some paperwork had both given Harry a friendly nod.

Of course Harry knew very well that it was all about results at the top of the auror food chain. Regardless of what the Prophet printed or people said about him, Harry brought in results. While not part of the Auror Corps, Harry caught and put away some of the worst of the worst. So to most in Magical Britain it seemed like the Aurors were doing their job and so were happy and felt safe.

Happy and safe citizens meant fewer complaining to the government so this made the members of the Ministry and Wizengamot happy which in turn made the DMLE director happy. While these senior Aurors might chew their subordinates out due to Harry 'beating them' to an arrest, they certainly weren't going to give Harry grief for doing his job so well when it reflected positively back on them.

The door to Shacklebolt's office finally opened to which Harry stood up. He was glad he did since Kingsley came out with Susan Bones. While things had not changed much relating to witches being the head of their House, Lady Bones was one of the more influential members of the younger crowd in the Wizengamot. Harry had a lot of respect for her even if they were barely on speaking terms given Harry's role in the break-up of Neville's and Hannah's marriage.

Harry might play the surly, loner cop type to others but he always gave Ministry officials and Wizengamot members the respect due their office no matter how much he might not like them. So he gave the correct bow one member of the Wizengamot gave to another, "A good morning to you, my Lady Bones." Harry tried not to smile. The Jane Austin like manners of the great Houses always made him feel like he was saying lines from a play.

Susan paused and pursed her lips a bit before returning the bow, "My Lord Potter."

While Harry was the head of Houses Peverell, Pryce and Black, custom dictated he be addressed by the House which had primacy. Given that House Potter had been a mover and shaker in England prior to the arrival of the Romans, he was always referred to as Lord Potter unless at a function where he was officially representing the head of another of his houses.

While Susan was being cool, it was more than she had given him the last time they met so Harry felt obligated to make an attempt at conversation. "I trust you had a pleasant evening at the Greengrass Ball? I am afraid my duties kept me from attending." He left unsaid how the rumors he had slept with Daphne and even Astoria (both true) tended to keep him away from the annual ball House Greengrass threw every August.

Susan shrugged, "It was pleasant enough. Sadly some of the Weasleys made a scene which sort of put a damper on the evening."

Harry blinked in surprise at this. For the life of him he couldn't think of what could have happened considering the only Weasleys he could see Daphne inviting was Bill and Percy and their wives and neither would be so crass as to make a scene.

Susan interpreted his look correctly, "Your ex was there as a guest of some Quidditch player from Germany that Astoria had invited. During a discussion over your recent moves to try and open a magical university, Miss Weasley made some choice comments which Lady Greengrass took offense to. This conversation in turn involved both William and Percy. A bit of a…row came of it."

Harry did a face-palm which he quickly changed to running his hand through his hair. "I can't win for losing. I'm not even there and my name brings trouble!"

Susan chuckled humorlessly, "Be that as it may, at least in this instance most of the crowd took your side given Ginny's accusations were something out of the old Quibbler."

Mindful of some of the things Rose had said earlier, Harry frowned, "Let me guess; I'm setting up this university so I can pray on young, nubile young adult witches especially those who might be there on a scholarship from one of my charities."

Susan's smirk made Harry's stomach clench, "I was being sarcastic!" Harry said hotly.

"And yet you were dead on target, my Lord Potter." Susan said with a snarky smile. Then her face grew serious, "Will you be at the next session? I would hope you would be there to back my latest proposal."

Harry gave a slight bow, "I have planned on attending. However given that I am here to get a potential mission, I must say as I always do that my attendance is contingent on my duties. As always, if I am unable to attend, Ms. Clearwater will vote as my proxy. You know you have my vote in this matter."

Susan stared at Harry for a moment, "I would hope you'd be there to help speak in favor of the bill."

Harry heard the rebuke in her voice and it angered him a bit. "I am sorry, Lady Bones, but I have many responsibilities. While I understand the work you and I do in the Wizengamot can affect the whole of our society, I shall _**never**_ turn away if my duties at large require me to do so. Frankly given the choice of saving one frightened woman from assault or catching a killer before he can murder again will _**always**_ be my priority."

The two one-time classmates stared at each other before Susan was forced to look away from the fiery determination in Harry's eyes.

Shacklebolt who had been quietly waiting during the exchange coughed politely, "Agent Potter, thank you for waiting. My Lady Bones, as always, it has been a pleasure.

Both Harry and Susan gave the correct half bow before Susan quickly left the office.

Harry watched her go before turning back to see Kingsley shaking his head, "Normally I'd say you were a fool to piss off someone like Lady Bones given that she seems to be channeling Amelia these days with the political acumen to back it up. But as usual you go where normal folk dare never tread and come out alive."

Harry shrugged as he followed Shacklebolt into his office, "Susan has her convictions of what she feels needs to be done and I have mine. The difference is it is rare that something the Wizengamot does affects things so quickly. The same can't be said in our line of work, Shack."

Kingsley nodded as he sat down, "I know Harry. I definitely know what you mean. We don't have the luxury to say we're busy or too tired when the call comes in. It's a hard burden we've shouldered but like you said, it was must be done."

The two men sat in contemplative silence for a moment before Harry spoke up, "Is it too much to hope that Constable Smith passed on my warnings about the mood in the Alley?

Kingsley frowned a bit, "Yes and no. Smith didn't say anything but McGowan passed your warning on. You're about the third person whose opinion I trust who has made the same observation. I'm looking into it but that's not why I call you in today. I've got a delicate mission, one I think your background and even your fame might come in handy in solving."

Harry said nothing and just watched as Kingsley pulled out a file.

Shacklebolt handed him a Wizarding photograph, "Recognize this player?"

Harry looked at the photo which showed a grinning Quidditch player. Harry nodded, "Yeah this is Chester Mountbatten. He's the lead chaser of the Wimbourne Wasps. Recently took over the squad with Jennifer Acton out recovering from that spinal injury."

Kingsley nodded, "He's also dead. Found by house elves in his hotel room in Bern the morning after a game. Cause of death is a bit unclear. The official report is a heart attack. Now normally this would be nothing more than a young man dying early. Yet before I stepped down as Minister I've created quite a few little nets from which I troll interesting bits of data. While I'm mostly trying to ferret out corruption, occasionally I find a cover-up."

Harry looked at the picture again and ran through his memories of Mountbatten's stats. Given what Shacklebolt had just said, those stats suddenly looked different to Harry. "You think he died because he suddenly refused to take the fall for a gambling ring? Dennis mentioned his boss has been seeing a lot of the head of Games and Sports."

Kingsley shook his head and looked grim, "A gambling ring I could handle. Agents like Auror Creevey have been doing a bang-up job of tracking down crimes like that. No. In this case I think it is much worse. I think he was murdered before he could be tested and expose a doping scheme."

Harry blinked at this. Thinking on Mountbatten's stats again, Harry could see how they might have been influenced if the dead player had been taking stimulants. "I thought we'd pretty much killed that particular dragon," Harry said cautiously.

Kinglsey gave Harry a sour look, "Crime like that never go away for good; they just rest until we're not looking. In this case, however, the criminals may have tipped their hand too soon. I learned from my counterparts in Bamberg that there was a surprise doping test scheduled before the Wasps' next game in Frankfurt. A test I might add which was going to be the first time a new technique invented by your friend Lilith Moon with help from Granger's team was to be implemented. A test which is much more sensitive than anything used before."

Harry nodded at this. He remembered reading in one of his weekly briefings from Penny that the initial run was going to be soon but he'd been too busy with the Olympics to follow up personally with Lilith about it.

Kingsley pushed three more photos towards Harry. This time they were all school age kids in Quidditch robes. One looked vaguely familiar to him but Harry couldn't place the child's face.

"All three of these kids have had some medical issue at Hogwarts unrelated to Quidditch. Each had symptoms close enough to something known to be easily missed but Madam Pomfrey wasn't happy with the uncertainty so she had Professor Tonks look at the blood work."

Harry threw the photos onto the desk, "Let me guess; Andromeda found odd traces of something in their blood but nothing concrete to actually force an investigation? Merlin on a hippogriff! It's Ginny and the bloody Nationals of 2006 all over again!"

Kingsley sighed unhappily, "I know this is asking a lot of you Harry but there are a lot of issues involved here. Obviously we can't allow another potential doping scandal to develop. This is even more critical to the Ministry considering we're hosting the World Cup again next year. Plus it seems credible that this doping is also happening at Hogwarts. You and I both know that a good percentage of Hogwarts Quidditch players come from the most elite families in England. This is something which could really put the kneazle in with the fwoopers."

Harry scratched the stubble on his chin since he hadn't had a chance to shave yet that morning. "Given how tense things are in the Alley, a big Quidditch scandal could be just the thing to cause a lot of unrest." Harry looked up at Shacklebolt, "Especially since things are still simmering about the need for the Great Move."

Kingsley nodded grimly, "That on top of a lot of the reforms people like you, Dr. Granger and Lady Bones have been pushing. With all the new regulations regarding the Statute of Security, things are very, very tense and something a simple as a doping scandal could be just the sort of trigger which sets things off." Shacklebolt sighed, "Even if things don't go down badly, the Ministry can't afford a major scandal as the eyes of the Magical world are turning to England for the World Cup. After the cock-up back in '89 with the Death Eater attacks, we can ill afford to be seen as a country which can't be trusted to host an international sporting event."

Harry thought about the previous doping scandal even though no player had actually been proven guilty of taking illegal substances. However it had gone down right before England had been poised to make it to the World Cup for the first time in over 75 years. Even though the evidence was inconclusive, it had been enough for the International Quidditch Federation to keep England from moving forward in the semi-finals.

Fans around the UK had gone berserk but Harry had understood why the IQF had done what they did. While there wasn't any concrete proof the English National Team had used magical steroids, there wasn't any concrete proof to show they hadn't. That uncertainly was enough for the IQF members to vote to disqualify England. That France had gone in England's place instead and then gone on to win the World Cup had made the whole thing worse to many fans.

Harry took a deep breath. He saw the need for him to take the case. Harry knew Shack had almost certainly talked to his boss back at MI7 about it before asking him to take this potentially explosive case on. Harry also understood why Kingsley felt bad in giving it to him given that Ginny had been on the National team that year. It had turned out to be the last year of her professional Quidditch career.

None of the team had managed to stay on a professional team by the end of the next year except for one of the beaters who spent three years with the Chudley Cannons which most people wouldn't count. Ginny had been forced out of Quidditch while at the top of her game and now had to sit on the sidelines as a Quidditch reporter for the Daily Prophet. For a fame junkie like Ginny, the change in status had been devastating.

It had been a very trying time since Ginny had all but given up trying to be a mother to their children yet resisted every effort on Harry's part to help or get custody. Finally things got so bad that while Harry wasn't able to get custody, Colin and Dora ended up living with Andromeda and Teddy. There, at least, Harry was welcome and so he was able to try and repair the damaged relationship he previously had with his children.

All of this, however, was just flotsam on the top of Harry's mind as his professional thoughts turned to the matter at hand. As much as he saw the necessity of this mission, he knew he didn't have some critical skills needed to complete it.

"Shack I'll do it but you've got to know I don't have the background in the forensics a mission like this is going to need." Harry said thoughtfully.

Kingsley smiled, "Credit me with a little foresight, Harry. I know full well we're going to need a lot of technical knowledge on this. If anything, another reason I want you on this is you have an in to both Dr. Granger and Dr. Moon. Frankly I think the labs at the Isis Foundation are head and shoulders above our forensic lab here at the DMLE. While I know things are tense between you and Hermione, I doubt she'd decline to help given the serious nature of this investigation especially since her son plays Quidditch at Hogwarts."

Harry grimaced at that. He knew Shacklebolt was right but he didn't look forward to having to go to Hermione for help. Perhaps he could just go through Su Chang instead. She had so far been very good about maintaining a very neutral and professional relationship with him. Hermione might be the head of the research team but given the fact that 80% of the money came from grants from Harry, Su Chang knew who the ultimate boss was. Not that Harry would ever pressure Hermione's team that way.

Kingsley touched his wand to a crystal on his desk, "Candace? Could you send her in?" Shacklebolt turned back to Harry, "Even with heavy hitters like Dr. Granger or Dr. Moon at your disposal, I know you'll need a top forensic expert with you so I'm going to partner you up with one."

Harry's heart sank. He was going to be stuck with Petty Primrose Rabnott! While a daft hand with forensic spells, Primrose was old, stuck in her ways and was forever complaining about slights against her, real and imagined. She was nursing grudges back to when she had been a schoolmate of Minerva McGonagall.

A voice which was definitely not old and stodgy pulled him out of his thoughts, "You wanted to see me, Director?"

Kingsley smiled, "Yes Detective MacDougal, please come in. Agent Potter I'm sure you remember Morag MacDougal from your time at school. Detective, you're going to be working with Hit-Wizard Potter on a very important mission. Harry, while Morag may not have a lot of field experience, she was top of her class both at M.I.T. as well as FBMI. She just finished an apprenticeship with Dr. Alcinda Greengrass at the Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital where she was working on updating medical to magical techniques."

Harry shook Morag's hand automatically while he said something about how it would be good working with her while his mind was ablaze. On one level he was taken back by MacDougal's accomplishment. Alcinda Greengrass was Daphne's famous cousin from a branch of the family in America. Instead of going into the family business of trade, she had delved into medicine and under her Muggle cover of Dr. Allison Cameron, had worked under some of the most brilliant of doctors in the United States.

She in turn used that knowledge to help work on updating magical medical procedures, especially in the realm of emergency medicine. He knew the Isis Foundation followed her work religiously. That Morag had successfully completed her apprenticeship with her spoke volumes of her talent. Even more so since Greengrass had supposedly picked up a lot of quirky habits from her last Muggle mentor which often made her difficult to deal with.

On another level his mind was working on a much more basic and primal level. He had just told Rose about an hour earlier about how he had come to trust his instincts. Those same instincts were flashing a red alert. He remembered Morag well from Hogwarts even though as a Ravenclaw he hadn't seen her as often as he had seen the Slytherin girls due to the class schedule. Even so, he remembered Morag very well.

Boys will boys and the boys of Hogwarts were no different than ones in a Muggle primary school when it came to girls. One thing the boys of Hogwarts did which made them just like any group of boys in the Muggle world is how they rated the witches around them. In his year, Daphne and Tyra of Slytherin had been the two top contenders for the prettiest witch in their Year and the debate about who was the best was fierce.

Sally-Anne, Fay, and Sophia all had their supporters for their 'girl-next-door' charm while many drooled over Lavender and Susan for their huge tracts of land as it were. Pansy hadn't earned the nickname Pretty Pansy Parkinson simply she had been Draco's girlfriend. Su Li and the Patils all had their fans due to their exotic looks.

Yet there was one thing everyone agreed one: Morag MacDougal had the most smashing arse bar none.

Harry looked into the face of his new partner and realized that not only did she still have an arse to die for but the rest of her had matured into beauty as well. Her brilliant blue eyes and almost unnaturally red hair complimented her alabaster complexion. Her bow shaped lips looked like they had been painted on by a professional artist like Ruben. It almost seemed unreal that this beautiful witch was in a lab coat over her auror uniform instead of posing for the cover of Wild Witches.

Harry's instincts were all screaming he was heading for another social disaster of epic proportions given the scale of the investigation and the amount of media coverage which would result if they did indeed uncover a doping scandal.

Harry knew he was doomed since he was already getting a woody. What was it with gingers and Potter men? Worse was like every other time he had found himself in this position it seemed he could he Sirius laughing at him from behind the Veil!

**XxXxX**

**Chapter Five Preview**: Harry and Morag start to investigate what seems to be a simple doping scandal…but nothing is ever simple for the ex-BWL!

**XxXxX**

**Author's Notes**: Brit-picking can be difficult. Trying to find the proper term for a torch turn out to be an adventure. I mean if a torch is what we American's would call a flashlight, then what would a torch be called in the sense of the American ideal? Teh Interwebz sort of let me done as all I could find was either prior to electrical torches; flaming torches were just called torches. Well that's great but still causes confusion. Then I found reference to using the word 'brand' but then we run into another problem that using brand might make sense to those of the UK but Americans are going to be wondering why I'm referring to something you do to cattle to mark them as yours. Ah well, I'm sure my reviewers will help out here.

**Chapter Title**: Just wanted to let everyone know that much of this fic will use elements from my other fics. That and I know I've dangled quite a lot out there without much explanation. Don't worry; I'll be fleshing out things as we go along. The title of this chapter is taken form something Rita Skeeter said about a potential issue with Viktor in **Jbern**'s _The Lie I've Lived_. (3384712)

**Ollie and the Orphanage**: Readers of my fic _Paging Dr. Bell_ will recognize Ollie's new job.

**Dennis Creevey**: I'm rather surprised no one commented on Harry naming his son Colin. Well here for those who wondered but didn't post their musings is the answer

**Bamberg**: Once a capital of a good chunk of the area now making up Germany, it also is one of the few places which didn't get bombed during WW II due to its very heavy cloud cover during the year. I got there on October 17th 1993 and didn't see the sun till January 9th 1994! Not only do they have the only Pope buried outside the Vatican, the region saw some of the most virulent anti-witch hunts in Europe. So I'm thinking it may have been because the area was the seat of Ministry for whatever magical state preceded the formation of modern Germany.

**Dr. Alcinda Greengrass**: I'm hoping most of you all can guess who her 'quirky mentor' was!


	5. Opening Moves

**DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: **_It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the grace of coffee that thoughts acquire speed, the back acquires strains, the strains become a warning. The warning is that I make no money from this. It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. _

**PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER**: "_Begin at the beginning and go on till the end; then stop_"** - Lewis Carroll**

**XxXxX**

**CHAPTER FIVE – OPENING MOVES**

**XxXxX**

**DMLE FORENSIC LAB, MINISTRY BUILDING, TINTAGEL – AUGUST 27****th**** 2012 – MORNING**

Harry found himself cursing the lab coat Detective MacDougal was wearing while he waited for her to unlock the lab. It was covering up her behind! As she let him in, Harry realized he was looking forward to field work as it would get her out of the coat and into the snugger pants witches of the DMLE preferred over robes. Even so, Harry quickly looked everywhere but at the red-head's behind as she waved her wand to bring up the lights in the lab.

Of course calling it a lab to someone used to the Muggle term would be bit of a stretch. To Harry, the DMLE lab looked more like a low-budget set for a film about Merlin. It was a far cry from the immaculate forensic labs used by MI5. So much so that this was the first time in a DMLE lab for Harry in years as he tended to either have Muggle forensic techs look his evidence over or he had Lilith's people check for magical clues.

"Agent Potter I would like to ask a favor before we get into all the details of this case," MacDougal said with a very severe look on her face.

Harry nodded as he plunked down in one of the lab stations, "Go ahead but I think you might want to get into the habit of calling me Harry in private. Calling me Agent Potter all the time is going to get old really fast for both of us."

Morag made a dismissive gesture, "I understand Agent Potter but before I can do that I want you to do something for me if you would."

Harry was curious, "Alright. What do you want?"

Morag took off her lab coat and laid it on one of the lab stations and took up her wand. To Harry's surprise she transfigured her slacks into skin-tight spandex. To Harry's even greater surprise she turned around and bent over a bit. "Agent Potter, I'd like you to take a long look at this."

Harry blinked in surprise at the request but eagerly complied. Oh this was a memory going into a pensieve later!

Morag let him stare for a bit and actually wiggled her bum a bit before straightening up and transfigured her clothes back to normal. She turned around with her previous stern expression still on her face, "Okay Agent Potter, you've gotten a good look at _dat_ _ass_ so kindly keep from staring at it again in the future. I shall also make you a deal, you will not refer to me as Abby, ask me if I own a spiked collar or in anyway make any reference to the Muggle television show NCIS. In return I will not make any Dirty Harry comments or other stupid action hero type comments I've heard made about you by my fellow aurors. Do we have a deal?" Morag held out her hand.

Harry smiled her as he shook her hand, "Not a problem. I hadn't thought about it till you mentioned it but I can see how a pretty witch like you working in forensics is probably leagues passed being sick of comments of that nature." Harry wasn't kidding her; while he enjoyed cop shows and often watched a lot of American TV via satellite, he hadn't thought about how Morag might get teased by the similarity to the beautiful TV forensic tech.

Morag scowled, "Many, _many _leagues past."

Harry nodded, "As one with many silly tags of my own, I understand where you're coming from. I shall also endeavor not to ogle you but I can't make any promises. Like I said, you are a very pretty witch and asking not to notice is an insult to beauty itself."

Morag stared at him before breaking out in a small frown, "Okay Potter, I guess that's about the best I can ask for."

Harry frowned as well but his was in now way small, "Okay _Detective_ MacDougal, you've had your say and now I'm going to say mine. First off as I've had to repeatedly remind your comrades, I outrank almost everyone in the Auror Corps and that includes you. I am also a Wizengamot member in addition to being the head of four House. Two of which, I might add are Ancient and Noble so a little decorum on your part would probably be wise. My name is Harry, not _Potter with a sneer_. I don't care if you like me or not but I got enough of _Potter with a sneer_ from Draco back in school. Now are we going to have problems I need to know about in this partnership,Detective?'

Morag visibly flinched at Harry's words especially at the 'Potter with a sneer' since he said those words in the voice meant to imitate Draco or Professor Snape. The cold look in his eyes (eye?) didn't help.

Harry was upset that it seemed that like so many people he'd gone to school with, Morag was treating him like he was still the easy-going kid being led around by Dumbledore, apologizing and forgiving everyone. That they then turned around and insulted him didn't make this any better. Harry had found it was best to slap that attitude down the minute it reared its ugly head.

Harry held Morag's gaze before going on, "Look Morag I can tell from your accent you've been spending time in America. I'm betting you did post-Hogwarts work at M.I.T. like my eldest son is doing right now. I'd further bet you spent a lot of time at Quantico with the FBMI." Like most people Harry pronounced the latter as 'fib-me' instead of saying the letters out as one did with the FBI.

Harry made an airy gesture with his hands, "Knowing what I know of rumors, I figure you got all the crap that comes out of the Prophet garbled through American outlets. Considering how so many people over here can't seem to be rational when it comes to me, I'll forgive your attitude this once."

Morag bristled at this, "Look _Agent _Potter, don't put me in the same gossip-rag reading group as the rest. I wouldn't read a column by Brown if you paid me. I don't need inflammatory stories to confirm what I know about your much deserved reputation. Inaccurate or not, I think it is very obvious that you earned that reputation." It was obvious that all her time in America hadn't dampened the Scots temper she was famous for back at Hogwarts. That most Ravenclaws were studious and quiet made her temper stand out more than it might if she had been a Gryffindor.

Harry placed his hand over his heart as if he'd been shot, "Reputation? I have a reputation? I have you know Detective MacDougal that I am the victim of rumors and slander from all sides." Harry hoped a little humor might work since his previous threat hadn't.

Morag put her lab coat back on while she gave Harry a dark look, "So all those girls got pregnant by rumor and slander? Merlin, you've knocked up at least one girl in every House in Hogwarts and two teachers to boot! You can't go around touting your skills as a Hit Wizard and expect me to think you just 'accidentally' knocked up a score of witches innocently."

Harry frowned, "Hey now Padma wasn't my fault and neither was Gina Walker!" Harry hesitated before going on, "Well the whole thing with Gina was a bit of a drunken accident on both of our parts. Plus Melissa was no longer a teacher when she got pregnant and Andromeda wasn't at the time either."

Morag's eyebrows shot up, "Padma wasn't your fault? Her having a baby boy with green eyes nine months after you slept with her is not your fault?" Morag was obviously still sore over what had happened to her Hogwarts roommate even after all this time.

As much as the topic irritated Harry, he had to admit the Scots lilt to Morag's voice was enticing. That and her flashing blue eyes and brilliant red hair. In fact, Morag looked like she could have been the model for the heroine of the recent Pixar film he still hadn't had a chance to see with any of his younger children yet.

Harry started to tick off points on his fingers, "First off, Padma was not supposed to be at the party that night. She was only there because she had just had a bad break up with Terry Boot and was crying her eyes out in her sister's room after tying one on. Second, it has been proven Parvati fed me a spiced coffee laced with a mild lust agent. Something available in India but not illegal her in England at the time. She had made it clear we were going to make the two-backed-beast and I was okay with that. We were both unmarried adults so Pureblood customs be damned, we have the right. Third, both of us were rather squiffed by the time we ended up in bed and it was a rather dark room and I thought she was her sister."

Morag looked unconvinced, "And how did you manage to mistake her for Parvati? You went to school with her for six years in the same House!"

Harry gave her an incredulous look, "Hello? Identical twins ring a bell? I was drunk enough and buzzing enough with the lust agent not to notice the different hairstyles especially since Padma had let her hair down. That and at first I thought she was just slurring Harry not realizing she was saying Terry since she thought I was him. For some reason she seemed to think he had gotten drunk and had shown up to apologize and take her back. I figure when I first came in and said, 'It's me, Harry' that she thought I said Terry."

"And when do you finally figure out you were plowing the wrong Patil?" Morag asked.

Harry frowned, "I was hardly 'plowing' her. In fact by our third go I had her riding me and screaming my name...well Terry's name which finally made me ask her why she was calling me Terry. In doing so I called her Parvati which in turn made her ask me why I thought she was her sister."

Morag stared at him for a moment before snorting as if trying not to laugh, "You know only Harry Potter could end up in such a silly situation and still come out sounding like a great lover."

Harry couldn't help but waggle his eyebrow suggestively, "Potter men: pleasing witches in these isles since 254 BCE; accept no substitutes!"

Morag couldn't help herself and giggled at this before she caught herself, "Even so you can't deny you're a home wrecker! It's alright if you want to be a single adult with other single adults but you trashed three marriages! Admit it!" the red-head accused.

Harry's face went into an emotionally mask, "Detective, I hope your lab work is better than your social accusations. If anyone took the time to do the math, Anthony Clearwater was born 15 months after Penelope was divorced from Percy Prewitt. Furthermore, Molly Prewitt was born 8 months after he had married Rosa. Considering he married Rosa the same month he divorced Penelope should tell you about Percy's fidelity."

Harry was pleased to see that Morag blinked in surprise at this. It didn't surprise him; almost no one seemed to have done the math before accusing him of what it was plainly obvious Percy had done. Then again even after all these years, if it was in the Prophet people took it as gospel. He had joked with Luna the last time he'd seen her that he was happy most Magicals didn't have any contact with the internet given the general level of gullibility. She had merely smirked and pointed out that he obviously had missed why the Quibbler had sold so well for so long even when obviously being mostly the deluded ramblings of her father.

He went on, "Furthermore, it takes two to tango or in this case three. Have you talked to Neville and Hannah or Rolf and Luna? Did the witches prove to you they were merely dupes taken in by my roguish charms? Did the wizards show how they were dutiful husbands who doted on their family only to have their wives violated by me? Well did you?" Harry said sharply.

Morag paled slightly at the real menace which suddenly crept into Harry's voice as she silently shook her head.

Harry nodded, "Obviously you hadn't because if you had you would have known Rolf was in the process of smacking Luna around when I showed up and put a stop to that. He thought he had the right as a husband to beat Luna for having the audacity to call her husband out on his philandering ways. I gave Rolf a choice: divorce or death. Since I had put Luna under House protection long before she married Rolf, _**I **_was in the right to demand an honor duel and he knew for all his big-game huntsman jungle cred, he was no match for me. "

Harry paused and ran his hand through his hair, "Furthermore, whether you choose to believe me or not, Selene is not my daughter. She _**is**_, however, the daughter of Randall Hitchens, a squib descendent of Isla Black. His great-grandfather was the brother of my maternal great-grandmother Jocelyn Connick née Hitchens. So when you hear how much Selene has the signature Black hair, she didn't get it from me. Sadly Randall died from the bite of a Tandalore Jungle Snake because he had already used his bezoar on a comrade during an expedition which had gone balls-up. Luna was one out of only 3 people out of a party of 26 who made it out alive. The man Randall saved was one of the other two."

Harry sighed. He had wished he had met Randall. Beyond Selene, as far as he could tell only Petunia, Dudley and his children and himself were all that was left from Isla Black's line.

He shook his head and looked at Morag. She was still listening intently. While she still had a stern look on her face, her eyes showed she was at least willing to listen. "As for Hannah, well that was another disaster with lots of issues involved. She was all but being ignored at the Cauldron even while Neville was certain she was cheating on him treating her accordingly. Worse was all the gossip coming out of Hogwarts about Neville being unfaithful. As far as I can tell all of that is twaddle but Neville certainly was cruel to Hannah in regards to his perception of her infidelity."

Morag made a small grunt but waved him on.

Harry shook his head, "No; what is it?"

Morag frowned, "Okay I heard a bit about Neville from my friend Sophia but if he was so paranoid about infidelity…well it seems like you just walked in and proved it. Doesn't sound smart on your part given how the press hounds you."

Harry sighed, "You are absolutely right, Morag. Hannah and I…Merlin how do I put this. She was hurting and at the time I was hurting due to issues with Ginny. Worse I had been fighting with Hermione so I was feeling cut off. To top it off I was on the trail of the Crimson Mangler. I don't think I need to tell you how bad it was to deal with that sicko's victims."

Morag nodded. She had seen plenty of photos of the victim's during training. They were horrible and in spite of everything, she felt sorry for Harry for having to see a corpse mutilated and defiled as only a Magical could.

Harry rubbed the stubble on his chin with that '1,000 mile stare' so common in police and soldiers when they remembered bad times. "Well I had been spending lots of time at the Cauldron in and out of cover trying to catch that madman so I was in contact with Hannah a lot. I saw first hand how Neville treated her and how all the rumors ate at her. Hannah is such a sweet witch and she was suffering. I was suffering. Finally we fell into bed hoping to blot out the suffering if only for a bit. I'm not a victim in this nor am I am the villain. I was just one of the players. There has always been a lot of blame to throw around in that mess."

Harry paused, took a breath and went on in a more normal tone, "Regardless of the media circus regarding Hannah's divorce, I was happy that I was able to do right by Padma just as I've tried to do with all my children like Abigail Abbot. As the oldest twin she was expected to produce an heir since her brother got killed by Death Eaters. I'm just glad Taluqdar Patil didn't mind a quick contract birth contract along with enough galleons to cover the loss in bride price now that Padma wasn't a virgin anymore."

Harry smiled faintly as if remembering a pleasant memory, "Harilal turned out to be a good kid and while I've only met Padma's husband once, Nalesh is a good bloke. He's really helped me rebuild House Potter's old trading contacts in India. So what looks tawdry was simply a mistake which everyone involved took care of maturely. Yet the gossip rakes never seem to report that. They just jump to conclusion and slant things the wrong way to sensationalize things to sell papers and giving a damn about the people's feelings that will be hurt by it."

"Okay but what about all the others? Like Gina for example? Blaming it on being drunk seems like an amateurish cop-out! For a guy with enough bastards to field two Quidditch teams, it seems mistakes happen quite often around you," Morag stated sarcastically.

Harry shrugged, "I was drunk, she was drunk and I went into the wrong hotel room. I thought I was bedding Katie Bell who was waiting for me in the next room. Gina and I were pretty involved before Katie came in complaining we had started without her."

Morag made a startled noise at this.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Come on Morag, a threesome is hardly something to be surprised about. Hell anyone who barely rubs up against Quidditch ends up in a threesome or moresomes." Harry frown slightly, "Sadly Katie had taken the right precautions and Gina hadn't since she hadn't been expecting sex especially not with a guy with the power of four Houses behind him. So Gina had jumped me and I was too drunk to remember to put a condom on. Katie had so it was Gina who ended up pregnant."

Morag didn't look convinced so Harry went on, "Look Detective, you don't have to like me and you don't have to agree with me but you _**do**_ have to work with me. So can we put this discussion away for another time? Either that or you need to go back to Kingsley and say you can't work with me. No matter what you think, I know I am a professional and I'm willing to accept you can be one too. So let's get to that, shall we?"

The pair stared silently at each other before Morag made a face before taking a deep breath, "You right, Harry. I let myself get carried away. Padma was my best friend back at Hogwarts and I think I sort of blamed you that she left for India. I also think I sort of panicked at the thought of being your partner and how my mum is going to take it when it hits the papers."

Morag looked away before looking back at Harry, "I'm sorry about the thing earlier. It was crass, unprofessional and I apologize for it."

Harry grinned, "Hey Morag, no need to _ever _apologize for showing me _dat ass_! If I was the bastard everyone says I am, I've be having one hell of a pensieve party at my place let me tell you!"

Morag snorted at this before looking at him with a look that reminded him of Luna when she was confused, "Condoms for you?" Morag asked, curious in spite of herself. Very few wizards used them. Actually most wizards didn't even know what one was.

Harry shrugged and looked a bit sheepish, "Well not to brag but I am a very powerful wizard. You add the fact I'm supposed to generate heirs for four houses means my own magic wants to help make that happen. The biggest problem I've had is my magic is like a virus which keeps mutating. First it got around basic contraception charms. So my first two 'whoops-babies' I started using condoms but even then that didn't work."

Morag made a skeptical noise but didn't comment.

"You have to understand that the same magic which allows for half-giant or human/goblin mixes like Professor Flitwick is pretty good at getting past condoms. At first they'd break but they'd break in a very noticeable way so I would notice and deal with it. However in the case of Padma, that didn't work since Padma and I were trashed and then finding out the person we thought we were having sex with wasn't who were thought sort of distracted us."

Morag frowned, "What about the so-called Unbreakable Charm. Powerful wizard or not, I can't see you breaking that charm without consciously willing it."

Harry nodded, "You're absolutely right. After I got Aimee Beaucourt pregnant I was at a loss. So I turned Lilith loose and you wouldn't believe what was happening."

"Given my line of work, Agent Potter, that is probably not the case," Morag said dryly.

Harry grinned at this before turning serious, "Well Lilith figured out that my sperm was actually somehow apparating for Merlin's sake to get past the unbreakable charm on the condom! We're still not sure if this some kind of subconscious thing on my part or if my House magicks are working on me regardless of my actual desires. So the end result is that I'm just a one man baby-making machine if I'm not very, very careful."

Morag found herself smirking, "Lilith must love that. I mean what more could Isis Foundation ask for then sperm almost guaranteed to impregnate?"

Harry ran his hand through his hair, "Oh I'm sure there are plenty of Potter spawn out there which will be showing up as Muggleborns over the next few years. Apparently my donor profile attracts a lot of takers." Harry rolled his eyes, "Lilith teases me that Hermione wasn't a fluke since she says I'm popular with lesbian couples."

Morag frowned at this, "How does the program work exactly? I've been too busy getting my certification and schooling done to take Lilith's offer to become part of the project. I'm not as familiar with it as I guess I should be."

Harry nodded, "Well it's pretty simple. Part of the contract is that none of the donor's children take any sort of precedence. It's a goblin contract and even when Muggles are used as paid surrogate mothers or end up with a wizard's sperm like mine, the kids will always be last in line in succession. Of course since much of this project is to keep Houses from going dark, having the rightful heir die off is still a possibility."

"I see so even if someone like Luna Lovegood gives out four or five eggs and all of those kids end up magical, they would only be in line to head House Lovegood if all of her other children died or were disowned." Morag said slowly.

"That's the plan. I also think it's a good thing for professional witches like you. You can have some of your eggs donated and know that your bloodline is going to continue so you can get started and get established in your career before having kids." Harry explained.

Morag brightened at that, "There is that. Mum thinks I'm daft to be out running around catching criminals and risking her future grandchildren. Still can't get it through her head I'm a lab witch. She's constantly nattering on about how I'm practically an old maid. Never mind I've still have more than two decades of safe fertility to look forward to."

Harry grinned his lop-sided grin, "Well I'm sure she'll have a stroke when she hears you've been partnered with me. Either from the potential scandal or the idea that at least with me there is a good chance she'll get a grandchild."

Morag didn't look amused, "That's not funny even if she'll probably feel both things simultaneously. Just you wait. I'm sure you thought old Molly Weasley's howlers were bad. My mum is like Professor McGonagall and her combined."

Harry laughed, "I'll be sure to be on the look out for red letters then. So Detective MacDougal, shall we be to work? I'm sure we have a lot of work ahead of us."

Morag nodded as she opened up the case files Kingsley had given her. She was surprised to see Harry focus on the charts and assume an intent manner which reminded her of many of her instructors back at the FBMI.

Maybe working with the infamous Harry Potter wouldn't be a disaster after all...at least on a day-to-day professional note. She wasn't convinced it wouldn't be a disaster in other ways.

**XxXxX**

**GREAT HALL, HOGWARTS, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 29****th**** 2012 – LATE MORNING**

"It's bloody well fucking 2012! You'd think Hogwarts would have a secure apparition point by now. I mean they've only been in widespread worldwide use since 1995," Morag fumed as she spelled some dirt off her shoes and robes which she had missed in the darker entryway. She had been complaining about the muddy path all the way up from the apparition point past Hagrid's old hut.

Harry shrugged, "Some days I think Hogwarts has some sort of anti-modernization magic in the wards. I'm just happy the floo is still down for maintenance even if they are cutting it close to the start of term. After all these years I still hate traveling by floo."

Morag looked around and finally up at the ceiling, "I know you're kidding but in a way you're right. I don't know about you but this place looks to me just like it did back in 1985 when we first got sorted."

Harry sighed, "Tell me about it. People like Susan, Hermione, Justin and I feel that taking down Voldemort was easier than making some moderate changes to bring us at least more in line with the other countries in the ECMS. Yet people seem to think we're asking them to murder their babies and drink their blood the way they act!"

Morag snorted at this.

Harry, however, wasn't amused, "You haven't been around to suffer through it all. I mean Susan and I had to fight like hell to get a rule dating back to 1307 repealed recently. Never mind it hasn't been enforced since 1789 and isn't relevant anymore due to advances in potion making. Nope the damn Guild felt their jurisdiction was being threatened. I tell you Morag, I know many Muggles like going to Renn Faires but if they actually had to deal with people who act like it's still like it was back in the day, they'd be less enamored of the period."

Morag nodded, "I know. I took a lot of shitte both at M.I.T. and at Quantico for being from the UK. The elites wouldn't be so snobby if they realized we're seen as a third world country by most of the world."

Harry snorted, "Sometimes when I'm at international conferences my hosts treat me like they're surprised I can read. The Japanese and the Chinese are the worst. Colin, my son, had toyed with the idea of going to the Kitsune School of Inari in Kyoto but I shot that down fast. I toured the facility back in 2004 and was only allowed in because of a direct order of the Shōgun. Even then I had to go through this nasty purification rite and was pretty much called a contaminated barbarian to my face for most of the visit."

Morag looked at him curiously. Given Harry's reputation she didn't think he'd stand for that, "So what happened?"

Harry shrugged, "I pointed out the Japanese had a history have being bested by barbarians from across the sea so perhaps they might think about being more polite."

Morag's eyes widened in surprise, "Ouch!" Unlike most Magicals, Morag was very well versed in history, Magical and Muggle. Harry's reference to the American's forcibly opening up of Japan probably hadn't been taken very well. It had bad enough U.S. fleet had acted as a powerful threat but what was less known was how the American wizards in the fleet had totally defeated a magical attack by the Shōgun's court wizards.

Most thought the Shōgunate had ended with the formation of the Meiji government but it had actually retreated into Japan's magical community. It was an open secret they schemed to return to power over all Japan one day. Harry's comment was also a direct comment on the fact that the sites for the nuclear strikes in World War II coincided with ritual areas from which the Shōgun at the time had hoped to summon powerful demons as a last resort to fight off the Americans.

"I doubt they took that graciously," Morag commented dryly.

Harry shrugged, "Didn't care. They got a tad more polite when I got challenged by one of their top instructors to a 'playful' duel to contrast British and Japanese fighting styles."

"What happened?" Morag asked.

"Let us just say my opponent found out how I earned the highest OWL rating in DADA in the last six centuries," Harry replied smugly.

"What the hell are you doing here Potter?" came a voice from behind them.

Harry turned, his face already becoming his neutral and professional. He kept his voice calm and didn't let any of the anger he felt show, "I'm here on orders of the Director of the DMLE in the course of my duties. Oh and hello to you, Professor Longbottom."

Morag noticed right away the feeling of energy which seemed to emanate from both men. While Neville Longbottom was no Harry Potter, he had certainly come a long way from the pudgy boy who had almost taken the Sorting Hat to the Gryffindor table back in their First Year Sorting. It was also obvious the dislike and maybe outright hatred between the two wizards.

"Well the Headmistress didn't say anything to me," Neville said suspiciously.

Harry shrugged, "She is not required to but let's do this by the numbers shall we?" He pulled out his badge as well as a warrant, "Professor Longbottom, I'm Special Agent Harry Potter of MI7 and this is my partner Detective MacDougal of the DMLE. We have a warrant to search Hogwarts although given the time frame involved these searches will probably come into effect later after the students have settled in. We are here to speak to Headmistress Sprout as well as Madame Pomfrey and Professor Tonks."

Neville took the warrant and made an obvious point of reading it all the way through. Morag looked at Harry to see his face an expressionless mask which was in stark contrast to the energy she could feel in his aura.

Neville finally sniffed in disdain, "Well it seems everything is order. I will let you be on your way then."

Harry's face didn't change but his voice was slightly snarky, "Why thank you Professor. So nice of you to give us permission to go about our legal business. I wouldn't want to end up in detention for being caught without a hall pass."

Neville scowled at Harry who simply kept his gaze steady and didn't blink. The two men stared at each other before Neville made a dismissive gesture and grunt which seem to say, 'I don't have time for this' before turning and making his way out of the Great Hall.

"Git!" Harry said under his breath.

Morag looked at Harry curiously, "Okay I know you're not an unbiased observer but what is up with him? Did Snape possess him like Voldemort did to Quirrel or something?"

Harry looked surprised at this before chuckling, 'What? No, while it does seem like Neville is challenging old Snivelus, his behavior is a bit of sour grapes and staying mad over a promise I made to Dumbledore." Harry gestured to the door, "Shall we go? Best not to keep the Headmistress waiting."

The pair made their way towards the Headmistress' office while portraits pointed at Harry and whispered among themselves as they passed by.

"So you were saying about Neville," Morag asked after a bit. She was generally curious given some of the stories she had heard from her friend Sophia.

Harry sighed, "Well first off a lot of this is just my impressions so please take it with a grain of salt."

Morag nodded at this.

"Neville didn't come into his own to after I formed the D.A. and he kicked arse at the fight at the DOM. Then he, Ginny and Luna reformed the D.A. while I was off with Hermione and Ron looking for horcruxes. He was the leader and did a great job."

Morag snorted, "I seem to dimly recall that…especially considering I _was there_." Morag frowned slightly, "You're right, though. Neville was almost a different person in our…well my Seventh Year."

"Well with his work in the D.A. as well as standing up to Voldemort, proving himself a worthy Gryffindor by summoning the Sword of Gryffindor and destroying the last of the horcruxes, one would expect he'd get a lot of press and accolades right?"

A light went on in Morag's brain, "Ah…I think I see where you're going. That's not exactly what happened."

Harry nodded, "No. All of his accomplishments were all shown either compared to mine or all the things he did at Hogwarts was something I would have done if I had been there. So the press either sort of ignored him or treated him like a mere stand-in for me."

Morag nodded at this. While she hadn't really noticed it at the time but Harry was right on target about how Neville was treated.

"Worse is how Ginny's contributions were ignored. Then regardless of how much Luna did, the fact Xenophilius betrayed me to the Death Eaters got thrown at Luna. Didn't matter she was a prisoner at Malfoy Manor at the time; it was like she somehow was to blame. While I took great offence to this for both girls' sakes, Neville seemed to take it very personally." Harry continued.

"So what about this promise to Dumbledore?" Morag asked.

Harry scowled, "Well I was told to not tell a soul about the horcruxes and let me tell you this pissed off a lot of people in the Order. After everything calmed down, Neville found out about the horcruxes and how he might have been the Chosen One. He got really angry he had been left in the dark especially since the reason his parents were driven insane was because of the Prophecy. I think he transferred the anger he had about this from Dumbledore to me given that the Headmaster had been in his grave for over a year."

"Okay I can see why he could be all shirty with you up and beyond the whole thing with Hannah but why is Neville so nasty all the time? Plus I can't see Neville being the jealous type." Morag asked.

Harry shrugged, "Hero of Hogwarts or not, I think Neville is still very much the shy, quiet boy we first met back in 1985 at heart. Merlin knows I carry my own childhood demons around with me to this day. I think somehow, deep down, Neville can't believe that someone like Hannah liked him. I think his fears of losing her got twisted up with all the other crap he had to deal with. So his fear of losing her transformed into him thinking she was going to leave him for another."

Harry stopped and was silent for a moment before turning to look directly at Morag; his brilliant green eyes almost glowing, "People talk about how off the trolley I am but a lot of us didn't survive the war with all our oars in the water. Neville had to put up with a lot that last year as you well know. These things eat at you, poison your dreams and add bitterness to your life. Sadly I think Neville hadn't been as…tempered like I had before the shit storm. He had to grow up fast to deal with some truly nasty crap and I don't think he's handling it well."

Harry looked away before shaking his head and continuing on up to the Headmistress' office. He finally went on, "Plus there as the whole thing with the DADA position. Neville wanted to take the DADA job so as to have an in at Hogwarts so he could switch to the Herbology position when Sprout retired. Well he kept getting brushed off and worse he found that everyone on the board wanted me to do it. This even after some of my early issues after my marriage fell apart. So to once again be the 'Almost Chosen One' made Neville very bitter. When they finally gave him the job, he constantly had students asking him about me."

Morag winced, "I'm betting he was ecstatic when Pomona took over as Headmistress and he could become the Herbology professor."

Harry shrugged, "From what my kids have said, I think the years he taught DADA soured him on students. So even though he still teaches, he's becoming more and more like Snape; bitter, nasty to students and not letting go of things from the past even though he's allowing the past to destroy his present."

The pair continued on in silence till they stood before the gargoyles guarding the entryway to the Headmistress' office. As Harry produced his badge and told the magical sentinels they were expected, a thought struck Morag. As the passageway opened up to reveal the revolving staircase, she reached out to touch his arm.

"Harry, isn't that what you're doing? Letting the past poison your future? I mean you seem pretty hell bent on self-destruction. Everybody seems to thinks so." Morag said earnestly.

Harry looked at her for a moment in silence before his face fell into the lop-sided grin he was so well known for. He chuckled humorlessly, "Not at all. I live for the _present_. It's all I have because I've never had anything in the future to look forward to. Even when I think I do it is _always_ taken away. So I figure '_we cannot waste time. We can only waste ourselves'_ and that's exactly how what I'm doing."

Morag watched him nod and turn to make his way up the stairs. Unless his magical eye was tracking her, he wouldn't see the intense frown on her face as she pondered how he hadn't actually answered her question.

Was he living as to not waste time? Or was Harry wasting himself because he had no reason not to?"

**XxXxX**

**Chapter Six Preview**: Morag learns a bit more about Harry as well as getting some good advice regarding him. A chance meeting with the Weasel leads Harry and Morag to the Isis Foundation.

**XxXxX**

**Author's Notes**: Man have I made some mistakes in this fic! I've already had to move the timeline around since I got when the Olympics ended wrong. Actually this works better for the fic since it means Hogwarts starts earlier in the story which is good. I then got Morag _MacDougal_'s name wrong along with quick a few things which needed to be Brit-picked. Thanks to all the reviewers out there that helped me out on things!

**Harry's Kids**: It might seem Harry doesn't have it that bad with his kids but much of the good relationships he might seem to have (like with Padma and her husband) are contingent on either Harry mostly staying away and/or there being some physical distance between Harry and his bastards. Also the media and 'common man' look down on Harry much more than the actual people involved do. We shall see more of this in upcoming chapters.

**MI7, Quantico and the FBMI**: For non-Americans, Quantico, in the state of Virginia, is the site of the FBI training center. It is also the training area for the Federal Bureau of Magical Investigations. While MI7 was a WW II propaganda arm, it is now the Crown's organization in which all things magical are tracked. Beyond working closely with MI5 (Harry's job) it also deals primarily with keeping the Statute of Secrecy intact.

**Nuking Demons**: I freely admit to stealing this idea from Marvel's Ultimates. Of course they were bombing Skrull camps...er I mean Chitari camps.

**Quote**: "_We cannot waste time. We can only waste ourselves_" **George Matthew Adams** (August 23, 1878 - October 29, 1962) American columnist and author

**Aimee Beaucourt**: Stolen from Jbern's The Lies I've Lived. She's a broomstick racer and school chum of Fleur.


	6. Seeing is Believing

**DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: **_It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the grace of coffee that thoughts acquire speed, the back acquires strains, the strains become a warning. The warning is that I make no money from this. It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. _

**PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER**: "_By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show_." **– Samuel Johnson**

**XxXxX**

**CHAPTER SIX – SEEING IS BELIEVING**

**XxXxX**

**INFIRMARY, HOGWARTS, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 29****th**** 2012 – LATE MORNING**

Morag hummed to herself quietly as she looked through the documents before her. While they were not as neat or precise as Andromeda's findings, Morag had no trouble deciphering Poppy's conclusion even if she did have to ask about some of the nurses' personal shorthand notations. It was obvious that the many years tending to magical children and all the possible ways they got sick or injured had created the need to make up many new terms and descriptions.

If Morag was a betting woman she'd put up serious money that the Weasley Twins caused the nurse to come up with a lot of new terms!

Finally the forensic witch looked up to find Poppy looking at her and was surprised to see she seemed nervous. "Am I that intimidating, Madam Pomfrey?"

Pomfrey chuckled nervously, "No, not at all dear. It's just I feel sort of like I'm up for my annual review from the Healer's Guild or the Board of Governor's inspection. Amazingly you are the first forensic auror to ever examine any of my work."

Morag was surprised by this, "I would have thought somewhere along the way in your long career that someone tried to criminally injure or even kill a fellow student."

The nurse nodded, "Indeed. Rare but it has happened. In fact to this day I'm surprised Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy made it out of school without bloodshed." The old witch frowned, "For that matter the same could be made for his father and godfather in regards to Severus."

Pomfrey stared in the distance, her gaze unfocused. Morag knew the look. A lot of the survivors of both of the Voldemort Wars often got that 'looking into the past' look when remembering the dead. The auror always tried to give people their space whenever it happened.

Finally the old nurse blinked and smiled apologetically before continuing, "With Dumbledore as Headmaster, my reports were always taken as gospel and never checked. I have often wondered if there were guilty student who got away with crimes because I'm just a nurse and not a professional like you."

Morag smiled brightly, "Poppy, you are so much more than a nurse! You're practically the mum away from home for the entire castle. I mean how many witches have you counseled through their first period? You did it for me and I think you did a better job than my own mum could have done."

Pomfrey blushed. It was odd to see her do so when her normal face was normally so stern and professional, "You are very kind. Perhaps I am a bit sensitive since I usually end up being the first one who is yelled at by irate parents of injured children."

Morag laughed, "Good thing Potter's family were Muggles or I'm sure you would have heard a lot given how often he was here during his time at Hogwarts. Even with him missing his Seventh Year, he still has the most days in the Infirmary if you don't count the Basilisk victims."

Pomfrey looked curious, "How did you know that? It's true but how did you come by that info?"

Morag looked a bit embarrassed, "Well there was a betting pool while I was a trainee going through my advanced forensic courses about how many days Harry would be down for injuries sustained in the line of duty. I figured I'd use his Hogwarts time as a baseline."

"My goodness! Did you win?" Pomfrey asked.

Morag shook her head, "No but I was close. I think my numbers were off because there are some times I'm convinced Harry was injured but recuperated somewhere else and that threw my numbers off."

Poppy laughed, "You certainly do Ravenclaw proud. You are right in your thinking. If you stay as his partner long enough I'm sure you'll find out where he recuperates in safety and anonymity."

Morag looked at the nurse expectantly but realized quickly the nurse wasn't about to break confidence with one of her most famous charges. It seemed to her Pomfrey had a fond spot in her heart regarding Harry as she had put up a plaque on one of the beds stating it was the Harry Potter commemorative bed. From a comment the old nurse had made when she pointed it out, his own godson Teddy has spent quite a bit of time in it as well.

Shaking her head, Morag looked down at her notes. She didn't like the conclusions the figures were telling her. While rather confident in her skills, Madam Pomfrey had seen a lot in her career. "So Poppy, I'd like to bounce my ideas off you and see what you think."

"Certainly although perhaps we should wait for Professor Tonks?" Pomfrey asked.

Morag shook her head, "No. I'd rather get your opinion and hers separately. Besides I'd rather not interrupt my partner. Harry said he had some important things to speak with the Professor about.

Morag was about to go on but was confused by the sudden embarrassed look on the nurses' face.

**OoOoO**

"Yes! Harry! Yes!" Andromeda screamed as her orgasm crested and her legs spasmed and threatened to squish Harry's head between them. The witch continued to alternate between moaning and urging Harry to continue before finally begging him to stop.

Finally Harry got up from where he'd been kneeling from in-between Andromeda's legs while she had leaned against her desk. With a lop-sided grin, he waved his wand and cleaned the witch's release off his face.

"So how was my oral report?" Harry asked.

"Able to get me an O as always, Harry," Andromeda said in a breathy tone while she struggled to come down from her orgasmic high.

Harry sighed as he settled into one of the chairs in front of the desk. He couldn't help but grin to think how many students had sat there getting lectured for various wrong doings. He doubted any of them would expect the stern replacement for Snape would ever use her office furniture for much more pleasurable activities!

Thinking of the consequences of such activities prompted to ask, "How does Orion take it that you are away so often during the school year?"

Andromeda shrugged languidly, "He is much like his father, I believe. He uses my absence to get into wild adventures and trouble. If he is not in the Hogsmeade clinic, he is in your bed in the Infirmary. I fear naming him after the Hunter and your father was a mistake."

Harry chuckled, "Could be worse; we could have named him Sirius"

"Merlin forbid that! I think the world isn't ready for another Sirius for a time." Andromeda perked up and looked pointedly at Harry's very erect penis, "However I think perhaps the world could use a Cassiopeia? I've seen your oral skills haven't declined but perhaps a test of your diction is in order. In doing so we can see how potent your Herbology planting skills remain."

Harry good eyebrow shot up, "Are you sure about that Andromeda? I mean school starts in two days. I wouldn't think you'd want to be pregnant during the school term. Plus aren't you getting a bit old to have children?"

Andromeda's eyes flashed but she took a breath and smiled faintly, "I keep forgetting how even after all these years you are almost worst than a Muggleborn. Where students like Hermione asked questions, you were conditioned not to. Well yes I am getting a bit on in years if you think 67 only in Muggle terms. Yet in comparison I'm closer to 42 in Muggle age. I still have a bit of reproductive life ahead of me yet and I want to do my part in ensuring House Black returns to its former glory."

Harry nodded his head in acceptance of her implied rebuke. She was correct; magical age was something he still had trouble wrapping his head around. Considering Andromeda had given birth to Orion James Black when she was easily old enough to be a grandmother in age still sort of boggled his mind.

"Well I'm sure the magic of House Black will be happy but I'm thinking you're hanging on to being a mother. With James already moved out, this being Lily's second to last year at Hogwarts and Orion being a Firstie in a few years, well your home is going to get a bit quiet." Harry said.

Andromeda didn't saying anything. Harry noticed she didn't seem inclined to disagree.

"Andromeda, how come you're still single? You are beautiful, powerful and easily have decades ahead of you. I'm sorry that Ted is dead but perhaps you should look to your own needs and live a bit more. As much as I love our time together, you deserve a wizard of your own. One who appreciates the woman I'm happy to know." Harry said sincerely.

Andromeda stayed silent for a moment before smiling coyly. "You are right Harry and I guess I do use my time as a Professor as a bit of a shield. However there isn't much I can do about it right now and right now I know what I want. I also know where I want you to put what I want."

Harry felt himself stiffen even more. Merlin! Andromeda was his oldest lover but she had a burning lustful look to put the horniest teenager to shame. He spelled a condom on his straining member along with a few other cautionary spells, "Perhaps Cassiopeia can wait till Beltane?" he whispered into Andromeda's ear as he slid into her and pushed her back onto the desktop.

Andromeda made a moan from deep down in her throat, "Yes, oh yes, Beltane would be best. Always better to honor the ancient fertility traditions."

Andromeda arched her back and begun to buck her hips against Harry. Harry responded by capturing a taut nipple in his mouth which he began to greedily suck.

Andromeda ran a hand through Harry's hair, "Besides, that leaves us months to practice!"

**OoOoO**

Morag finished making the last of her notes and frowned. She was sure that Andromeda would confirm her suspicions just as Pomfrey had. While most wouldn't think Poppy as much more than a nurse, Morag knew the witch probably knew more than most of the senior healers in the Guild. Pomfrey might not have the magical acumen to detect what Morag had but she certainly had the experience to know when something wasn't right.

Pomfrey clearing her throat caused Morag to look up.

The older witch had an odd look on her face which in a way worried the younger witch. "Is there something wrong, Poppy?" Morag asked.

Pomfrey was silent for a moment. Finally she took a deep breath, "Detective MacDougal, how much do you know about your partner?"

Morag blinked at this. Poppy was the last person she'd expect to gossip about Harry Potter! "Not as much as most. I have been across the pond for a long time. Harry did school me in a few things about his life today."

Poppy nodded, "Good." The older witch broke off and looked unsure as how to continue. "Morag dear, I just want to give you a bit of warning regarding Harry. The Prophet and the like all go on about him but they don't realize some of the underlying truths about him. I probably know more about him than even Hermione Granger. I'm worried about you. I don't know much about auror work but I doubt this case is going to be resolved quickly which means you're going to be spending a lot of time around Harry and I think you need to know some things about him."

Morag found she couldn't read the older witch's face. "Go on," she said cautiously.

Pomfrey sighed, "I realize you are not only a Pureblood and steeped in our traditions, I know you are a trained professional. The issue I am worried about is one which is rarely talked about, almost never written about and just ignored most of the times because few wizards or witches have the magical power to make it a bother."

Morag's eyebrows went up, "Is this about Harry's aura?"

Pomfrey nodded, "You've felt it then?"

The ginger witch snorted in exasperation, "Bloody hell hard not to, if you'll pardon my French."

Pomfrey nodded again and didn't seem offended, "Yes I figured as much. The issue I wish to bring up is you have many factors working against you, my dear. You are young, unmarried, powerful, trained to pick up on clues and most importantly...you are a virgin."

Morag blinked in astonishment, "How did you...?"

"How do I know?" Pomfrey asked with a small smile. "It is rather simple, really. All Hogwarts students come under certain enchantments when they enroll here at the Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches. Many do not fade even after you graduate. For example, ask your partner about something called the Marauder's Map. It works because once you are a student or faculty, the Hogwarts wards always recognize you."

Pomfrey gestured towards the door, "In this case, the minute you walk into this room, a very basic but powerful scan is done on you. Did you ever wonder why I never took my reading glasses off when you were a student? The reason is similar to why Harry wears his when he no longer needs them. The information from the spell shows up on my glasses. When you walked in I could see your heart-rate, body temperature, a rating of how tired and hungry you were. I also saw you were still a virgin. I'm sure a woman in your field of expertise would understand why I might need to know that...never mind that I am a nurse in a school filled with teenagers."

Morag mulled this information over. Pomfrey was right. There _were_ a lot of spells, rituals and whatnot which needed someone to be a virgin. Given how important being a virgin on the wedding night to some of the older rituals, she could see Pomfrey wanting a heads up if one of her patients wasn't one. That and she'd bet her wand Pomfrey's spell would show if a witch was pregnant. Only the 1,000 year old wards of Hogwarts would make such a diagnostic spell work so well.

Morag turned her thoughts to the topic at hand, "So you are saying since I am a young, unmarried virgin that I am open to something from Harry's aura?"

Pomfrey sighed and looked tired, "I'm sorry if this offends you and your feelings of tradition, but I am very much in the camp with people like Harry, Hermione Granger and Susan Bones which want certain aspects of magical living be brought more out in the open. Simply put is Harry is very powerful magically. I don't think I need to tell you how that power is transmitted through his aura and makes him seem more attractive to witches. What most people don't realize how powerful this affect truly is. This is made even worse by family magicks."

Morag sighed, "So you're trying to say that magic is going to suddenly make me want to drop my knickers and shag the Man-Who-Disappointed? Sorry, Poppy, that's not going to happen."

The elder witch pursed her lips, "I didn't say it was. I just wanted you to be very aware of the fact that Harry's aura will affect you. Do not be so sure you can withstand it because it is subtle. Plus you own magic is certainly working at you to breed. All I'm asking is you think about what you are up against. While most of Magical Britain see Harry as wizard who can't keep it in his pants, I know that for one he's never had a lack of witches willing to fall into bed with him and secondly he is a consummate professional. Yet time and time again we see him in the scandal sheets."

Morag looked up and frowned, "What are you trying to say Poppy? I'm a big girl now and an auror so you don't need to beat around the bush."

Poppy smiled slightly, "Yes, of course you're right. My point is while Harry does have a more 'I don't give a damn attitude' these days, he still is very much the Harry Potter I have watched over for many years. That he continuously ends up in witches beds when he shouldn't tells me his own magic and that of his families are acting upon him."

"Like his apparating semen?" Morag asked.

Poppy blinked at this, "He told you?"

Morag nodded.

Poppy pursed her lips again, "Well you see the problem. Just keep this in mind. If you indeed end up being Harry's partner for awhile, I would recommend talking to Dr. Moon. She has done the most study on this subject. I'm sure she will have good advice for you."

"Well we'll be seeing her later today to have your evidence looked in the Isis Foundation labs." Morag said.

Before she could continue, the door opened up and Harry and Andromeda came in looking a bit distracted.

**OoOoO**

Harry saw that his new partner had all of Poppy's evidence ready for transport to the Isis Foundation labs. He also saw how Poppy was looking concerned. Knowing the old witch like he did, Harry wondered what she was worried about now. It certainly worried him when she had that look.

Before he could say anything, however, Morag sniffed and frowned, "What happened to you?"

Harry looked confused as he and Andromeda took a seat, "What do you mean?"

Morag sniffed again, "You smell like you've been scourgified."

Harry blinked at this and looked at Andromeda before answering, "You can smell that? Wow! I never realized there was a 'scourgify' smell."

Morag looked at Pomfrey and wondered why the nurse suddenly was almost giggling. "Well I wouldn't call it a scent exactly but first off you don't smell normal. I mean you don't stink or anything but I can't smell your jacket. Plus the spell does create a sort of minty smell. So did Peeves prank you or something?"

Ignoring Pomfrey's tittering, Harry decided to lie like a champ, "Peeves? No...nothing like that. Andromeda was showing me her lab. I was curious how she taught differently than Snape. Some of the cauldron's she has going smelled rather rank. Knowing Poppy like I do, the last thing she would like for us to do is stink up her infirmary."

Morag gave him a searching look before giving a small shake of her head and a shrugging of her shoulders. "Professor Tonks, I'm glad we finally get to meet. I've heard many good things about you. Dr. Greengrass thinks very highly of you."

Harry let out his breath quietly. Good, he wasn't busted.

Morag gestured to the materials arrayed on the table, "I wanted to ask you for your opinion of what you feel the tests from the students mean. I've looked them over and have my own opinion as well as Poppy's own."

Andromeda smiled, "Dr. MacDougal, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please, call me Andromeda."

Morag returned the smile with another a small nod, "Only if you call me Morag."

Andromeda took a breath and looked at Harry, "Even if I didn't already think it, I believe you being here is ample proof of what we're seeing here. While the tests didn't find anything conclusive, the fact we didn't is damning in its own right for possible new scheme of sports doping."

See Morag nodding in agreement, Harry asked, "How so Andy? Can you explain it for us non-doctors? I fully understand the concept of negative evidence can be evidence itself but what you said doesn't make much sense to me."

Andromeda smirked slightly, "It makes a lot of sense from a biological sense, Harry. The issue with using magical enhancements is twofold. The problem with magical doping is many standard muggle means detect them in addition to magical diagnostic spells. Worse, from the perspective of the drug makers, our auras act as a diary of what has happened to us. So if we take magical stimulants; it is very difficult to keep that from showing up in one's aura. So enhancements need to be effective but also leave few traces."

"Or leave traces which are considered natural," Poppy interjected.

"Hence using students as test subjects," Morag concluded.

Harry frowned, "Non-doctor here, gals."

All the witches chuckled at this before Morag went on, "Harry it is simple in one sense if you know what you are looking for. Students are young, growing and going through puberty. So their magic, their bodies and their body chemistry are in flux. Testing a new product on them has two advantages. One it is harder to detect among all the normal chaos of puberty. The other is because the bodies are going through changes, whoever is doing this can see how it affects their growing magic and body."

"What it means, Harry," Andromeda said seeing that Harry wasn't making the connection, "The drug or potion can be tested on growing children. When properly done, the enhancement will act upon an adult in a way much more like normal aging growth along with effects consistent with the high adrenal flow of the game."

The light went on in Harry's brain, "So you're saying that whoever is doing this is taking advantage of the high excitation of the player's aura during the game. The same reason why Quidditch players are all super-randy after a game?"

"Or aurors after a tense mission," Morag pointed out.

Harry nodded his head at this. After a mission with lots of spell-fire and actions, it could get a bit frisky back in the locker room even though all the aurors and agents had long gone past puberty. "So I take it we need to do some subtle testing of this year's Quidditch players here and in all of the Saint Schools?"

"That is what I would recommend, Harry," Poppy said solemnly.

Harry looked at Morag, "So if Chester Mountbatten was killed because someone felt he would fail the test, what is so special about it? I was too busy with the Olympics to be fully briefed about it."

"I don't know given that the test was kept very secret," Morag replied. "We'll have to have Dr. Moon explain it when we get to the Isis Foundation."

Harry's eyes narrowed and he scowled. Both Poppy and Morag were surprised how dangerous the wizard suddenly looked.

Used to seeing Harry's mood swings, Andromeda asked, "Something wrong?"

Harry ran a hand down along the scar on his cheek, "Well first off beyond the fact we have a potential trail going from Hogwarts to our perps, the fact there is a leak either in the Isis Foundation or at from one of Hermione's people at Project Prometheus…or both."

Harry abruptly stood up, "I think our next step is heading over to the Foundation. I've already come across one possible leak of sensitive information today so I think we need to get too this quickly."

**OoOoO**

Morag looked at Harry with an unspoken question on her lips but Harry gave a small shake of his head and a look which clearly said _later_. Morag nodded quickly in return. She was pleased Harry was good at giving non-verbal clues. While she hoped she didn't have to fight along side him given her specialty, she remembered how having a partner who didn't need to shout orders during a fire-fight was something you always hoped for.

Andromeda stood as well and embraced Harry, "Good luck to you Harry. Remember, don't work yourself too hard. I need you to be healthy for our practice runs."

Morag looked suspiciously between the other three as this set Poppy twittering again while Harry looked a bit embarrassed. The look on Andromeda's face wasn't one she expected from a Professor. She looked back at Harry and something clicked in her mind.

Bidding the two Hogwarts staff good-bye, Morag followed Harry as he purposely walked back to the entrance hall. It was obvious he had a lot on his mind. Even so, Morag wanted to get something out in the open.

"So, do we need some sort of partner code to use when you going to be off shagging?" Morag asked after they passed the huge doors in the entrance hall and were walking off the grounds.

Harry stopped and looked at her, "Excuse me?"

Morag didn't blink, "I said, do we need a code-word? I mean it seems there was more than just discussion going on between you and Professor Tonks. I'd rather not have you get into the habit of lying to me and I don't want to send someone to seek you out only to have them find you in a…compromising position shall we say."

Harry continued to just stare at her.

Morag frowned, "Forensic auror here, Harry. Forgive me if I am good at picking up clues. But Andromeda's rather passionate good-bye along with you both conveniently being scourgified of smells. Now that I think about it, Andromeda winced a bit when she sat down. Roger her a bit roughly…_partner_?"

The wizard frowned at her emphasis on the word partner. He was silent for a moment before he sighed, "Yes you are right. I guess we do need to establish some ground rules. I'm sorry I lied to you. It was very unprofessional of me and it won't happen again."

With that, the hit-wizard turned and continued toward the apparition point.

Morag stared at his retreating form for a second before hurrying to catch up. She hadn't expected him to fold so quickly.

Perhaps Poppy hadn't been kidding about his professionalism after all.

**XxXxX**

45 CHARING CROSS ROAD, LONDON** – AUGUST 29****th**** 2012 – AFTERNOON**

Harry nodded to the old auror as he stepped off apparition pad with Morag. The auror touched his wand to a crystal on the desk to turn the pad to active again. The three other pads were empty. Just like at the Ministry, the pads not only directed incoming traffic properly, it kept people from splinching if too many people tried to apparate to the same place at the same time.

"I'm surprised there aren't more people here, Herman," Harry said politely. He might not get along with most of the DMLE aurors but Herman had earned the respect Harry showed him. Herman Marchbanks had lost a leg in the Grindelwald War, his left arm in the first Voldemort War and had taken a nasty curse which almost killed him in the Second. However the old warhorse still happily served even if only as an apparition point guard.

The auror shrugged, "You missed the rush earlier as there were lots of people going into the Alley today. Out of habit I think, given how much has been moved to Dumbledore Alley. Quite a few people came back rather early looking a bit cross. Figured they'd forgotten how there isn't much left in old D-Alley for school supplies these days."

Harry made a face, "How are things in the Alley? It was jumping the other night."

Herman gave a rusty laugh, "Well it has quieted down well enough. Heard you got Smith's knickers in a bunch. He's all sulky given the reprimand he got for his team responding so slowly. He blames you, of course."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Of course."

Harry saw Morag look at her watch and figured they had better get going. "How are we doing on time?"

Morag shrugged, "You would know Dr. Moon's hours better than I. We still have a good two hours before they officially close. I doubt she'll toss us out after business hours end."

"Let's get going then." Harry turned to Herman, "Good seeing you Herman. Don't let anyone give you shit about your hair." While Herman had survived the Death Eater curse, the treatment for it had given his hair an odd green sheen to it. The old auror laughed it off saying he was just showing off some Slytherin pride but Harry knew some of other aurors needed to realize their jokes were long past being funny.

"You haven't been to the Isis Foundation have you?" Harry asked as he went through the hallway to the front of the EuroChange. While a respectable Muggle business, this branch not only fronted as the apparition point for Diagon Alley but one could even exchange galleons for Muggle currency.

"No, but it isn't far is it?" Morag replied as the pair stepped out into the late summer sunlight.

"Nah, about three blocks give or take," Harry said easily.

The pair walked across the street and made their way up Charing Cross Road. Harry couldn't help but look up even though he knew he couldn't see Pansy's rooftop apartment from street level.

"It's weird not being able to apparate directly to the Alley," Morag observed.

"All part of the post-war security. The hit-and-run raids the Death Eaters showed the need for apparition wards. All those petty guerilla attacks from DE dead-enders didn't help. With all the magic from the shops and factories, there were only two places in the Alley where the secure points could be placed." Harry observed.

Morag looked at him oddly as they passed the Leaky Cauldron, "So why didn't we apparate to one of them?"

Harry sighed. He didn't want to tell the truth about not wanting to see Hannah. While they could by-pass the Leaky Cauldron by way of the side alley, he thought Morag would see that as odd. It seemed Hannah always was behind the counter when he came through. So he knew she'd invite them back to a hearty dinner and after him already trysting with Andromeda, he didn't want to tempt himself with Hannah. As much as they tried not to have sex anymore, so far they never made it more than a month or two and it had been awhile. As much as he enjoyed his time with Hannah, he felt guilty for not being able to give her what she craved. Another person whose life he'd fucked over without meaning to.

"Well we could but it is a bit into the Alley. It's faster to jump to the public access. Don't tell me you're a typical Pureblood and going to complain about walking an extra block?" Harry gently teased.

The ginger witch snorted, "I've done both the New York and Boston marathons. I could run you into the ground."

"Good for you! We need more Magicals willing to get off their bums," Harry said with a smile. This bit of info explained a lot about her trim physique. Most witches tended toward a more zaftig body style given their more sedentary lifestyle.

He had overheard Susan complaining about it to Daphne Greengrass over cocktails during a Ministry Ball a few years ago. Since Susan had always been well endowed, it seemed even with a Magical's enhanced metabolism she had to do a fair bit of exercise to keep from getting fat. He knew Lavender Brown hadn't bothered. While still very pretty, Lavender certainly had packed on a few pounds. Not that Ron seemed to care. Harry often wondered if Ron ever looked below her chest from what he'd seen of the pair when they were together.

The happy smile suddenly slid off his face as he noticed an odd sight coming towards them, "Oh bloody hell!" Harry cursed.

**OoOoO**

Morag stiffened and couldn't help but reflexively have her wand shoot into her palm from her wrist-holster at the tone in Harry's voice before he put a quick, reassuring hand on her forearm.

Morag finally caught sight of what made Harry swear. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Coming towards them was Ron Weasley pushing a wheelbarrow like cart. While the cart was rather nondescript (if a bit out of place for the area) it was the fact it was piled high with all sorts of items that drew the eye. All of these were perched precariously atop each other without any visible restraints. Worse the cart was painted in garish Weasley Wizard Whizzes colors which made it stand out like a crup in a kneazle show.

Morag could understand why Harry was mutter dark obscenities under his breath as he picked up the pace towards his erstwhile friend. She was scowling herself as she noticed a pair of what looked like tourists using their smartphone to tape the odd sight. The fact Ron was singing a Chudley Canons' fight song off-key didn't help.

Morag hurried after her partner. From the sound of it, this wasn't the first time the ex-Gryffindor had done something like this. This surprised her given the briefing about the increased punishments for breaking the Statute of Secrecy in Magical Britain after she'd returned.

She watched as Harry set himself directly in the path of the cart. To an observer it would look like a stupid move since the cart's load blocked Ron's vision. However Morag suspected he had cast a supersensory charm which allowed him to see roughly where he was going.

Sure enough the ex-auror stopped with a scowl of his own, "Get your arse out of the way! You're blocking legal commerce!"

"You're damned right I'm blocking your legal commerce!" Harry snarled.

Morag quickly stepped around the cart to ensure Weasley could see her. She was glad she did given the look on Ron's face when he realized exactly who was blocking his way. She saw how Ron's wand shot from his own wrist-holder.

Harry noticed it as well but only gave a nasty laugh. It was obvious to her that he would almost welcome Ron trying to take a shot at him.

"Mr. Weasley, let's not do anything rash, shall we?" Morag said in her best auror voice. While she had been given all the basic auror courses, she hadn't done anything like beat work in over a decade. Morag was glad Harry's reputation would probably keep even the likes of Ron Weasley from doing anything stupid in full view of Muggles.

As she watched Ron ignore her so as to continue to scowl at his ex-best friend, Morag reminded herself he was using an obviously charmed item in front of Muggles, "Mr. Weasley; I said let's not do anything rash. As an ex-auror, I would hope you'd remember it is best to look at a peace officer when she's talking to you."

Ron turned to her as if he'd just realized she was there. He gave her an obvious look up and down before his eyes centered on her chest.

Morag tried not to grind her teeth at this. It was bad enough she had been tagged "The Righteous Bum of '85" back at Hogwarts but she'd grown into a set of breasts which so many of her male aurors kept staring at.

"Eyes up, Weasley! Talk to the lady and not her ladies," Harry barked.

Morag couldn't help but flash Harry a quick smile for this. With his reputation, she hadn't expected Harry of all people to be one to yell at people ogling her.

Ron looked up with a start and was about to speak before he gave her another look before a look of recognition crossed his face. "Bloody hell! If it isn't the RB of '85!"

Morag's professionalism warred with her desire to hex the ginger git. She wondered if anyone had the stones to refer to Lady Bones as the TT of '85 given that she'd bet money most wizards ended up talking at the 'terrific tits' instead of her face.

"Call me that again Weasley and you'll find it can mean raging bitch," Morag said in a tight voice.

"Hey now; no need to get all shirty!" Weasley complained. "Can't a guy compliment a pretty bird he hasn't seen in years?"

Before Morag could do more than blink in surprise that Ron thought righteous bum was something you used as a compliment to an auror on duty, Harry stepped around the cart and gave it two taps with his hand.

"Weasley; gets this thing moving. Now!" Harry ordered.

"I was moving till you had to get in my bleeding way!" Weasley spat out as he began to push his cart again. It was obvious that the cart was charmed to make the load be almost weightless.

Morag shook her head as she noticed two passing pedestrians remark at how strong Weasley must be to move such a loaded cart so easily. By the dark look on Harry's face, it was obvious he caught it to. She could see his wand hand twitching as if yearning for a good hexing.

The pair walked behind Weasley who into the small alley next to the Leaky Cauldron's side entrance. Morag's highly trained senses felt the slight tingle when they crossed the Notice-Me-Not barrier.

Ron Weasley rounded on Harry, "Now what's the big deal? You can't just go stopping me for no reason. I'm a busy man and I don't need the likes of you harassing me."

Morag blinked at this. It was one thing to be caught doing something you weren't supposed to but Weasley seem too oblivious to why the two had stopped him! Given the curses Harry had used earlier, this wasn't his first offense.

Judging by the look on Harry's face, Morag guessed that he had had enough of the ginger's thickness.

**OoOoO**

Harry counted to ten in Gobbledygook. Then he counted to twenty before deciding to go the auror route, "Mr. Weasley, you seem to be unclear as to why Detective MacDougal and I stopped you. Is this correct?"

Ron gave him an odd look, "Yes, _**Mister **_Potter, I don't know why you're keeping me from my business. Bad enough I can't get this stuff in either Alley and have to go out into London. Don't need you giving me a rash of shit over it."

Harry couldn't help but give a slight snort at this and went on in a passable impression of Snape, "That's Agent Potter to you, Mr. Weasley."

Ron's face flushed a darker red than it already was but Morag cut him off, "Mr. Weasley, you are aware of you were operating a magicked item in full view of dozens of Muggles. As an ex-auror you have to know the illegality of your actions."

Ron turned to the witch with a sneer, "Oh it's illegal now to push a cart? It's not even magical."

Harry held up a hand and began to tick points off, "You used sticking charms to keep the load from falling off. People observing you could see no way you could be so easily avoiding things in your path. Lastly, your items are easily seen as being heavy yet you effortlessly can move your cart. So yes, your cart isn't magical but the spells on it might as well make it one."

Ron let out a hoot of laughter, "So what? They can't see the spells so who cares if anyone saw me lift up my cart. What's going to happen if a few people wonder how I keep my gear so tight? Tell their cat? Go on about it over tea? Nothing is going to come of it."

Harry and Morag exchanged a look. While Morag rolled her eyes at him, Harry realized that perhaps Magicals needed a form of the internet sooner rather than later to keep people like Ron from being so clueless.

"Okay Ron, for old time's sake, I'm going to cut you some slack but you've got to do something for me, okay?" Harry said.

Ron looked startled before looking happy before his face turned suspicious. "Like what?"

Harry pulled out small item out of a pocket and tossed it by Ron's cart. A flourish unshrank what became a net. Another set of wand movements and the net covered the cart before hardening to yellow and red stone. Harry cast an additional aversion ward. He turned back to Ron as he pulled out the old mokeskin pouch Hagrid had given him long ago. From this Harry pulled out a specially treated leather case from which he took out his smartphone.

"Nothing to worry about Ron. Just going to take a picture and we're going to go for a quick walk. Won't take more than 10 minute. Unless of course you'd rather I just arrest you and let you take your chances with the Magistrate?" Harry made a 'after you' gesture towards Charing Cross Road.

"Arrested for what? I didn't _**do**_ anything!' Ron complained but moved pass the barrier.

"Let's test that theory shall we?" Harry said. He walked briskly back towards where he had first seen Ron. At the intersection at Shaftesbury Ave he finally spotted what he was looking for.

Turning to Ron he pointed up to a CCTV camera almost hidden among traffic signals, "Do you see that Ron? Do you know what that is? You should because I talked about it when I busted you for public urination and setting off magical fireworks during the Olympics."

Ron squinted and looked confused, "What am I looking at? You mean the lights? What's so special about them? They're everywhere."

Harry sighed while Morag gave out a snort, "Are you being intentionally thick, Mr. Weasley? Harry's talking about the video camera. The thing on top of the lights; the one that's pointed right at us right now."

While Ron frowned and looked again, Harry checked an app on his phone before dialing a number from memory. Not only did he need to make a point to Ron, he was wondering why his office hadn't caught it before he himself had. The face recognition search had been tailored to identify Weasleys as a priority. The fact they all had such bright ginger hair helped.

"Eye in the Sky, what's your emergency?" The male voice sounded a bit flustered.

"Eddie, it's Harry. I need for you to check camera Charlie Sierra India two one niner. You should have had a hit." Harry replied.

"Damn you eyes Potter! Why do you always call when there is a problem? Give me a second, mate." Harry could hear a lot of conversation going on in the background. Eddie Perkins was one of MI-7 agents who worked in conjuncture with London Metro to catch possible infractions of the Statute of Secrecy via London's web of surveillance cameras.

"Is there a problem, Eddie?" Harry asked.

"Oh we just had a server crash and the back-up didn't engage properly. We got things fixed but now we're backed up on our alerts by two hours. Were trying to catch up as quickly as we can. Okay, hang-on; you said CSI-219, right? Yeah, here it is so give me a second."

Harry waited. He could almost feel the impatience rising off Ron.

"Oi! Oh for crying out loud!" There was no mistaking the disgust in Eddie's voice. "Merlin damn all Weasleys to hell! Sorry about this Harry; we should have been all over it. What do you want done? I take it you're on the scene?"

"Yes I am along with DMLE Detective MacDougal. Look, let me call you back in a bit. However, can you email me the feed to my open account? I need to prove a point," Harry said.

"Roger that; I'm off," Eddie said before breaking the connection.

"What's all this about?" Ron asked. "Who were you talking to?"

"All in good time, Ron." Harry said as he passed his smartphone to Morag, "Could you take a picture of me and Mr. Weasley here?"

He almost chortled at the look of utter confusion on Ron's face. It seemed to amuse the witch as well given the small smirk on her face. Harry couldn't help but think again how good she looked.

Morag fiddled with the unfamiliar phone for a second before taking the shot and then another for good measure.

Taking back his phone, Harry quickly emailed it to two people. Finally he looked back up to Ron. "Ok Ron, you asked what you did wrong. Since you didn't pick up on the lesson last time, I figured I'd try one more time while you were sober. Now I just sent the pictures Morag took…"

"What pictures? I'm not stupid Harry," Ron said crossly.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Weasley! The phone has a digital camera. It doesn't need the big flash a magical camera needs to impress the image on the film so it can move," Morag said just as crossly but almost in a whisper so the pedestrians walking by couldn't overhear her.

"More to the point, Ron, is that a digital photo can be used and sent in many interesting ways. All of them extremely fast. Come with me," Harry gestured up towards Shaftesbury Ave. Ron looked mutinous for a moment before Morag nudged him none to gently to get going.

The quickly found themselves in front of the Isis Foundation. It looked relatively quiet with only two clients filling out paperwork. Harry was rather surprised to see Millicent Bulstrode at the receptionist desk. He gave a small wave through the window before dialing another number.

This call took longer to pick up. "Hello? You bloody well be dying, calling this early!"

"Love you to Kylie," Harry replied.

"Harry! What's shaking? Already pining for your Aussie girl?"

"Always!" Harry said with a grin. Kylie Martin was an Australian auror Harry had met at an international conference and they had gotten along very well. After a drinking contest (which Kylie won) Harry found they got along even better in bed. This, of course, had a predictable outcome.

"Is Olivia excited to be coming to London?" Harry asked. Olivia was his daughter with Kylie who would be starting at Hogwarts on the first.

"Oh she's bouncing off the walls. Do you want to talk to her? She's been a good sport about getting up with her old mum since I'm allergic to that damn jet-lag potion. As much as I'm going to enjoy the trip, I hate synching myself before I go. I tell you, it's a curse to be Australian and stuck being allergic to the one potion you really need!" Kylie groused.

"Yeah well I wouldn't have called otherwise. I know not to 'wake the beast' before seven. Look love, need a favor. Are you at your computer? I sent you an email. I need you to open it up. When you do, I'm going to give the phone to Ronald Weasley. You remember him from the '96 Expo, right? I need you to describe in detail the picture." Harry explained.

"Yup! I've got it right here. Put him on," Kylie said.

Harry turned to Ron, "Do you remember Auror Kylie Martin?"

Ron nodded.

Harry passed him the phone which he took like it might bite him. Harry smirked as Ron said hello cautiously and began to mumble a bit while talking to the Australian auror. After the incident with the Dursleys, Ron seemed forever careful about not talking too loudly on a phone.

Harry's smirk turned into an evil grin at the look on Ron's face. Harry gestured for his phone, "Thanks Kylie. I'll be seeing you on the First?"

"Oh I think you'll be doing more than seeing me!" Kylie said in a very suggestive tone. "That is if your friend Melissa can watch Lachlan?"

"No worries, as you'd say, Kylie. Although I'm not sure if Hogsmeade can take Lachlan and Orion in the same house. I apologize in advance for all the pranks and bad language he's going to teach our son." While Olivia hadn't been planned, their son Lachlan had been. Kylie had bounced between quite a few wizards and witches before settling into what seemed to be a semi-stable relationship with a witch named Carol McKenzie who worked in the magical animal conservatory office of the Australian ministry. Kylie had said since she might not ever end up with a wizard again, best be safe and get the second child she wanted.

"Do you want to be know that I'm bringing Carol or do you want to surprised?" Kylie asked mischievously.

"Depends on if you expect me to perform stud duty or not," Harry said quietly so Morag and Ron wouldn't overhear. Carol had wanted a child of her own and Harry knew Kylie had offered Harry up so that her kids and Carol's would have at least one blood tie. Last he had heard Carol had been undecided on the issue.

"Eat your veggies, boyo! You're going to need your strength!" Kylie all but cackled. Apparently Carol had made up her mind and now Harry was going to have to satisfy two Aussies in bed.

"I'm hanging up now. Exposure to too much Aussie craziness causes cancer you know," Harry quipped. He cut the connection and dialed another number. This time it picked up much faster.

"Dad?"

"Hey Colin! Glad to catch you. Need a bit of a favor. Are you near a computer?" Harry asked his oldest son. Unlike Kylie, Harry knew it wasn't that early in Massachusetts.

"Uhm, yeah I am. What's up?" Colin asked

"I need you to look at the picture I just sent you. Oh and after I hang up, you need to call Rose if you haven't already. She's a bit peeved at you, son. She feels since this is the 21st century that you have no excuse, safari or not, not to call her." Harry explained.

Harry could hear Colin's fingers tapping at his keyboard, "Oh crap. Is she really mad or just slightly mad?"

"I'm thinking angry in that 'time for a good prank' sort of way," Harry replied.

"Just great," Colin deadpanned. "Okay I got it. Wow, Uncle Ron looks like hell."

"Hold that thought. Here he is. You can tell him yourself," Harry passed the phone to Ron. This time, at least, Ron was a bit more animated. For all the fallout of the adults, for the most part all of them tried to be civil to the next generation. Colin was good friends with Ron's son Hugo so while Ron and Harry were barely on speaking terms, Colin was still welcomed. Of course he was Ginny's child as well.

After chatting with his nephew for a bit, Ron finally gave Harry the phone back. "Okay what was the point of all this?"

Harry wanted to kick the ginger in the shins, "Come on Ron, don't play games with me. I was able to send a picture from _my phone_ and have people in the States and Australia to be able to look at it in minutes."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Yes I got that. Okay I'll admit that Muggles can be pretty inventive. I still say so what? What has this got to do with me?"

Morag snorted, "Weasley is your brother using you to experiment on? I know you Gryffs aren't big on thinking but I'd think it's pretty obvious how this all relates to you."

Harry nodded, "Come inside and I'll show you."

Harry walked into the office, "Hey Millie. Could I trouble you to tell Lilith that I need to talk to her officially in a minute or two? Plus can I use one of the computers in the office?"

Millie shrugged, "Sure thing Harry. You do sort of own the place."

Harry smiled, "So what are you doing flying a desk?"

"I'm just filling in for Vanessa. She got a call her son's got an ear infection and needed to be pulled out of school." Bulstrode cocked her head towards Ron, "I hope you realize we've got enough Weasley juice to last a lifetime."

"He's not here for the Foundation, Millie. Just a little police business." Harry explained. He gestured for Morag and Ron to follow him to an empty office outside the main office pool. Harry fired it up and pulled out his mokeskin pouch again. From the leather case, he took out a flash drive.

After logging in and checking to see everything was ready, he turned to Ron, "Okay Ron, here's the deal. The reason Morag and I stopped you is while you were not overtly casting magic, you were seen using the results of magic. Results which caught the eye of people who thought it weird enough to photograph or tape."

Harry pulled up the video feed Eddie had sent him. "Watch this. This was taken today." The video ran for two minutes which clearly showed Ron coming around a corner pushing the cart. It was also clear that without being able to see in front of him, Ron had been able to dodge every obstacle in his path and the load on the cart never wobbled.

Ron just stared at the screen. Harry wasn't sure if the lesson was sinking in or he was just entranced by the computer.

"Now today while we had stopped you, I saw some people taping you…" Harry said

"Taping me? What?" Ron interrupted.

"It means video-taping you," Morag said. "They were recording you in the same way the CCTV camera did."

Ron's eyes bulged out, "That little thing can record moving pictures too?"

Harry's shoulders sagged a bit. No matter how often it happened, Harry still couldn't believe how obtuse many British Magicals could be about technology. Many of the new people working in Diagon Alley off the family farm for the first time in generations still seemed to think Muggles had technology from before the Victorian Age. They had had far too many incidents of them walking into traffic and getting clipped by cars. Now it was a requirement to take a class before getting a permit to work in the Alley.

It was obvious that Ron hadn't had the class given that he primarily worked out of Dumbledore Alley instead of the old shop which now was used only for product production. That and Harry was sure people thought Ron knew the score given the fact he had once been an auror.

With a nod, Harry got back to the matter at hand, "Yes Ron. It can be used as a phone, a camera, a video-camera and I can access the internet with it. The point I'm making is anyone with one of these can take a photo or a video and post it just like I did. Then it can be seen all around the world if it's funny enough."

Ron looked confused, "Funny enough? What do you mean?"

Harry pulled up a file from his flash drive and played it. It showed a very drunk Ron and some of his equally drunk friends setting off Weasley Wizard Whizzes brand of fireworks. While none of them made anything as ornate as the dragon Fred and George had used when they had left Hogwarts, they were impressive (if impossible) by Muggle standards.

"Okay this video was taken by a tourist from Greece who was in London for the Olympics. This was filmed about fifteen minutes before I showed up to bust you. The guy couldn't believe how good your fireworks were so he posted it on a few websites. The video went viral and it took us 72 hours of frantic work to get it deleted from the web. Given incidents we've dealt with in the past, we'll see this pop up on the web for a few more months due to people saving it and then reposting it." Harry said.

"There is a reason they are called viral videos, Mr. Weasley," Morag interjected. "If a picture or video is interesting enough, it gets reposted to new sites where it is seen by more people who repost it. It spreads across the internet just like a virus."

Morag leaned over Harry and began to type in a search keyword. While she was pulling up the website she was looking for, Harry couldn't help by notice how good she smelled. Gritting his teeth, Harry tried to ignore the swelling in his pants. He'd be getting plenty of good, sweaty Aussie sex soon enough.

Morag straightened up and looked at Ron. "Look at this. It is a representation of how one person can post something and how it can grow." She touched a key and the simulation ran. It looked like a slow-motion growth of a crystal. "Each of those filaments represents an area, not a single person. So each one could represent hundreds of people. As you can see, in a matter of hours, a photo or video can be seen by thousands of people around the planet."

Harry grunted in agreement, "Ron, over the years you and your brother's have inadvertently created three viral videos. In addition, there was a website called, "Spot the Ginger!" where a guy was collecting photos and video of various Weasleys doing stupid things regarding Muggles. Your cousin Maxwell, for example, was caught on camera wandering around with a brand of all things. When asked what the hell he was doing, he said he didn't trust "them queer Muggle lights" so he had his trusty brand. Now Ron, I would hope even you could see a wizard walking around with a magical brand is going to catch people's eye."

Ron was silent as he watched the video of himself which as on a loop.

"Then there's Ginevra. She's been spotted a lot of times at Muggle clubs wearing clothing which she's magicked in one way or another."

Ron scowled at this.

Harry nodded, "Exactly. The dresses showed plenty of skin. But that's not what makes people look at them. They are wondering how the dress stays on. While there are Muggle ways to do it, they tend not to work very well especially if you move a lot. I've seen one video of Ginny dancing in a club and on the tape you can hear these women wondering how come her dress isn't falling off."

Morag patted the computer, "More and more of these computers are in homes all over the world, Mr. Weasley. That video those tourists took of you just 20 minutes ago may already be spreading across the world and endangering the Statute of Secrecy. Even when it is something rather benign like the videos of Ginny in a magical dress, we have to take them down. Sometimes we have to hack into people's computers and delete the files remotely. All of this draws attention to people who like to look into places they shouldn't. This means a lot of obliviations."

Morag looked to Harry but he just nodded for her to continue. Maybe Ron would listen to the message coming from her rather than him.

"The risk is a person or a group discovering magic, gathering a lot of evidence and then posting it all at once. We have a plan for when this eventually happens but we can't be sure it will work. So we need to concentrate on keeping stuff like this from ever getting onto the web. Now do you understand what you did wrong?"

It seemed it finally had as Ron's shoulder's sagged a bit.

Harry dialed Eddie again. "Eddie? Right, I've got a pick-up at the Isis Foundation. Class X-Ray. Also need you to run a search on the parameters from the video you sent me. Both Detective MacDougal and I observed at least one instance of him being taped. Also need an evidence pick-up just outside the Alley. I've got it under standard stone-tape and an aversion ward. Codeword is Keeper."

"Got it Harry! I'm heading out now," Eddie replied.

Ron looked at Harry in confusion which was rapidly turning to anger, "I thought you said you were giving me a break?"

Harry shut off his phone and put it away, "I did. I'm only going to charge you with a Class Three violation given that it is obvious you haven't gotten the proper training which was a Ministry oversight. If I had charged you with a Class Two violation like I'm well within my rights to do, you'd probably be doing a stint in Azkaban given your prior incidents."

"I've never been convicted," Ron huffed.

"Yes and I'm sure that cut rather deeply into your brother's bottom line," Harry said with a hint of a sneer. Even with all the new regulations and Kingsley's reforms, passing some galleons under the table still got around a lot of laws if you knew the right people in the Ministry. Dennis had looked into it after the fact and came to the conclusion Percy had been involved but there was no way to prove it.

"However, while you've never been convicted in magical court, I have jurisdiction through the Muggle system. The MI-7 charter has the authority to arrest you and try you. Given the fact double jeopardy doesn't apply, it would mean your prior incidents would be added to this incident and you'd be tried for all of them at once. The bright side is when you got tossed into jail it wouldn't be Azkaban but one of Her Majesties' gaols," Harry said with a fake smile.

Ron gulped audibly as it become apparent to him how much trouble he had just dodged.

"So why don't you take a seat and I'll have some tea sent in so you can meditate on your sins till Agent Perkins gets here." Harry said.

"Don't I get a floo call?" Ron asked.

Harry scowled. Spoken like a true perp; they always knew what they could get away with. "You'll get your call after you are processed down at the station. Don't be an arse about this Ron. I know you can at least remember the booking process well enough."

Harry turned to Morag and gave her a 'watch him' look to which she nodded. Harry stepped out of the office and went into the adjoining one. He cast a privacy charm and went through the process of getting his phone out again. Harry lived for the day when electronics could be better shielded against magic so he didn't have to keep going the troublesome process of protecting his electronics. Bad enough he couldn't use any alert feature to tell him when he had messages.

Harry quickly dialed up the FaTE offices. While every call to the special phone Dennis had made it crash that much faster due to all the ambient magic, Harry wanted to give Dennis a heads up that Ron was going to be arrested. Hopefully they could catch Percy passing the galleons if there was an attempt to get Ron acquitted again.

As he heard the phone begin to ring, Harry thought that for once, Ron was going down. Harry had thought Ron might have learned a lesson in personal responsibility after his stupidity had brought his budding Quidditch career to a halt. Yet Ron had quickly turned it back to Harry. The parents of the beater who had hit the bludger worked for one of the companies Harry inherited from the Black side of the house. So _obviously_ the guy had it in for Ron.

Never mind Ron was too busy flirting with some female fans when he should have been paying attention, While rare that Keepers would get hit by bludgers, it wasn't rare enough for it to be a conspiracy especially since it was just a practice. That and the Cannons were famous for weird accidents. None of that matter to Ron. He blamed Harry for the nerve damage which screwed up his eye-hand coordination which demoted him to simply coaching instead of playing.

Even when he knew better, Harry had given Ron chance after chance. Today's stupidity, however, was the straw that broke the thestral's back. He knew busting Ron was going to make his popularity plummet even further in the Weasley clan but the Statute took priority.

Harry just hoped they had caught things in time. The last time they had missed a Weasley taping it almost ended up on the Yank show Mythbusters. Harry silently thanked Merlin that Kari Byron was a squib and she screened all the videos the show was looking at possibly featuring. The show had turned out to be a pretty good detection method as they ended up getting many similar videos. It certainly made MI-7's work easier along with similar agencies in the Magical world.

As Dennis picked up, Harry could only hope Ron's viral video days were finally at an end.

**XxXxX**

**Chapter Seven Preview**: We meet Dr. Moon and get a glimpse of the Isis Foundation. Just a bit of awkwardness when Dr. Granger comes calling as well

**XxXxX**

**Author's Notes**: Good news and bad news on the real life front. While my wife lost her job, a friend of mine gave me her 3yo gaming laptop which makes my writing a lot easier. Of course this was to facilitate working on a story we put together. So good and bad regarding amount of time I can write.

**Site Issues**: For some reason, I'm once again having issues with this site not picking up new updates for chapters I've made corrections on. I've tried about three times now to correct some things on Chapter 4 but the site never seems to accept the new chapter. So if you suddenly get a lot of update notices, it means I had to delete an entire chapter and start over.

**Fighting Banana-Slugs**: I know the story may seem a bit slow, but I can't seem to find a balance for you all between wanting to keep the exposition down to keep the story moving versus having people confused about what's going on. Things will start to speed up as Harry and Morag start to kick over some rocks for clues which should start in Chapter 8.

**Magical Glasses**: As with Harry's, I feel with magical healing and the like, why would any magical wear glasses? Well as this chapter shows, there could be a lot of advantages. Also, in many ways they would allow for overlays one sees in many futuristic books like **David Brin**'s _Existence_ where he takes the concept of Google Glasses to their logical, future end. So I think what I have Madam Pomfrey use seems to be an obvious diagnostic tool which would allow her to see basic information about her patient the minute they walk in. Given that so many of her students may have gotten sick/injured doing something they shouldn't means she'd want to save time instead of working to get them to tell her what actually happened.

**Viral Videos**: Do a search for "_Watch a Facebook Photo Go Viral_" to see the very cool thing Morag showed Ron.


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